Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Siting topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Developer updates Freeborn County on Horseshoe solar project; 200 MW PV and 200 MW battery proposed
Summary
Developers told the Freeborn County Board the Horseshoe (formerly Hayward) solar project has been resized to about 200 MW of photovoltaics with an added ~200 MW battery-storage proposal, an interconnection timetable that could finish in January 2027, and a construction window targeted for 2027–2029. The presentation raised questions about acreage and taxes.
Tracy Score of Good Stewart Consulting and Joshua Chavez, senior development manager with Revant (also referenced in the presentation as Aravon), gave the Freeborn County Board of Commissioners an update on a proposed utility-scale solar project east of Hayward.
Chavez said the project has grown from an earlier 150-megawatt proposal to a 200-megawatt photovoltaic array and that the developer plans to add roughly 200 megawatts of battery storage colocated at the project’s substation switchyard. "This does not expand the footprint at all," Chavez said, explaining the batteries would occupy about five acres adjacent to the substation and would improve the project's marketability and grid reliability by providing power during evening demand and extreme-weather events.
Chavez described completed and ongoing site work — geotechnical testing, wetland delineation, cultural studies and endangered‑species surveys — and said the developer progressed to phase 2 of the MISO interconnection process in July 2025 but experienced about an eight‑month delay in the schedule. "We now plan to finish phase 2 in June ’26," he said, and expects a final interconnection agreement from MISO in January 2027. The team plans to submit an amended Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MNPUC) application for 200 MW of photovoltaics and a new MNPUC filing for the battery portion in mid‑2026.
When commissioners asked about project size, Chavez said the current preliminary footprint is about 1,850 acres of leased land (subject to adjustment) and that the battery enclosure would be roughly five acres. He added that most acreage would be leased and could be returned to prior uses after the project's expected 30‑year term.
The presentation noted continued community engagement — volunteers with United Way and local groups, educational giving tied to STEM, and partnerships with the Albert Lea Chamber and Salvation Army. No board action was taken; Chavez and members of the development team said they would be available for follow‑up questions.
Why it matters: The scope change (150 MW → 200 MW plus battery) affects land use, local tax treatment and regional grid planning. Commissioners asked about state energy‑production taxes and whether the project would be structured in a way that affects those assessments; developer and assessor staff said they expect the project to be subject to Minnesota state taxes and agreed to provide a more detailed tax analysis.
