Several people hold signs outside the Red Wing Public Library protesting a proposed solar farm near Red Wing on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. Submitted photo
Several people hold signs outside the Red Wing Public Library protesting a proposed solar farm near Red Wing on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. Submitted photo
Some of the people behind the proposed 2,000-acre solar farm west of Red Wing hosted a public informational session at the city’s library on Wednesday.
Outside the library, there were a small group of protesters holding signs that read “Stop Solar Fields.”
The massive solar farm hasn’t become reality yet, but some residents who live near the site, in Welch Township in the area of the intersection of Highway 61 and Highway 316, are concerned.
One of those residents is Mari Mellick, who technically has a Hastings address. Mellick and others handed out informational fliers of their own at the library.
“My husband and I live on 5 acres and our property could potentially be surrounded by solar panels,” Mellick said. “We’re just one of several other families on our road that could be surrounded.”
Mellick said she and her husband found out about the plan for the solar farm several weeks ago. Later, they met with the local landowner and representatives from Adapture Renewables, the company behind the plans.
Adapture is based in Oakland, California.
Mellick said she still feels like she doesn’t have much information about the project.
“This is all happening very quickly,” Mellick said. “We have lots of questions about the potential impact to wildlife, taking prime agricultural land out of production, and the fact that the panels would line Highway 61 and Highway 316. These are scenic roads by the Mississippi River, and what would the impacts be, culturally?”
According to Adapture, the project would be a 300-megawatt utility-scale solar development.
The company says close to 400 construction jobs will be created by building the solar project, and it could generate tens of millions in local tax revenues over the course of the life of the farm.
Matt Boerger, a project development specialist with the company, said Adapture was pleased with the turnout from the informational open house on Wednesday.
“The project is in the early stages of development,” Boerger said. “Our current focus is to complete due diligence studies to advance the project design. We will continue to engage with neighbors and local stakeholders to provide information, solicit feedback, and answer questions.”
Boerger said the company’s hope is to start construction in 2028 and have the farm operational sometime in 2030.
“We’re excited to invest in the community, and bring a significant source of clean energy to Goodhue County,” Boerger said.
Messages to Nick Ries, owner of the land where the solar farm would go, were not returned before this story went to press.
Like Mellick, Hastings resident Jaci Tuin attended Wednesday’s session. Tuin said she lives about 10 minutes from the land where the farm would go, but that her mother, 79-year-old Kay McGrath, lives in a home much closer to the site.
McGrath went to Wednesday’s meeting as well.
“She’s sad and disappointed, and she feels like tonight gave her no answers,” Tuin said. “She’s lived there since 1973 and she grew up across from Highway 316, so this area is all she’s known. She wants to live out her remaining years in her home, but now she might be completely surrounded by solar panels.”
Goodhue County Commissioner Linda Flanders said she’s aware of the plans for the farm, but said the county will have no say in the final outcome.
The project will eventually need to come before the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. The company says it expects to put in a formal application next year.
A commission spokeswoman said Wednesday an application has yet to come before the body.
“There is no application before the commission, so we do not have any information on the project,” said commission communications director Cori Rude-Young in an email.
For now, residents in the area of the proposed farm seem to have more questions than answers.
“This has all just been very overwhelming,” Tuin said. “At this point, we don’t even know where the power generated from this solar farm would go. Would it be local? There are a lot of unanswered questions.”
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