Author: (Patriot Photo by Don Bellach)
Xcel Energy announced on July 21, 2026, that Sherco Solar Phase 3 has been completed, becoming the largest solar facility in Minnesota. Phase 3 is located just east of Clear Lake on 80th Ave. and marks a major milestone in Xcel Energy’s plans to move to clean energy and retire the existing Sherco Coal Plant in Becker.
Currently, Sherco Solar is producing 710 megawatts of electricity, replacing the output of the Sherco generator number 2 that was retired in December of 2023, generating enough electricity to power more than 150,000 homes per year.  
Phase 4
A proposed Phase 4, located on 100 acres in Clear Lake Twp. north of Hwy. 10, would give Sherco Solar a total capacity of 910 megawatts and is expected to be completed by 2029. According to Xcel, the expansion will create an estimated 300 union construction jobs and $90 million in local economic benefits.
Sherco Transition
Xcel plans to retire the remaining coal-fired units in 2026 and 2030. A synchronous condenser, a piece of equipment that manages system stability as renewable energy increases, will be built at or near the Sherco Unit 2 site.
Xcel has two battery energy storage projects planned for the area just south of Becker’s Sherco plant. The first proposal would use lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, discharged in four-hour increments to store up to 600 MW. It is expected to be completed in late 2027. The second is a multi-day storage system using iron-air batteries with a capacity of 10 MW/1,000 MWh.
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14054 Bank Street/P.O. Box 458
Becker, MN 55308
(763) 275-0275

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