NUJournal: Solar energy project coming to Cottonwood County

We hear more about wind and biomass in talk about renewable energy, but today's New Ulm Journal mentions a local firm partnering with Xcel Energy to work on solar energy in Cottonwood County:

The future of electrical energy was discussed by industry experts, elected and appointed official Friday at Bridging Brown County’s Brown County Congress in the Rural Electrical Association (REA) auditorium.

Three years ago, Outland Renewable Energy (ORE) was created by five Southwestern Minnesota farmers.

Now, the firm develops, maintains, owns and operates renewable wind and solar energy projects in Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Montana, Texas and New York.

The company employs 60 full-time people in its Canby and Chaska offices and plans to hire 50 more employees within a year.

The firm recently got a $2 million RTF grant from Xcel Energy to develop solar electricity at sites to be determined in Cottonwood County. . . .

Congressman Walz frequently bring up the ingenuity of Southern Minnesotans in working on solutions in the energy industry. He's definitely on to something.