Marshall, Minnesota, city officials, community leaders and project partners gathered on May 20 to celebrate the official dedication of the Marshall Solar Plus project -- a 10-megawatt solar energy and 5-MW battery storage facility developed to support regional reliability and clean energy goals.
MSP is owned by Marshall Solar Plus, LLC, a subsidiary of the Western Minnesota Municipal Power Agency, and operated by Missouri River Energy Services.
MRES and WMMPA partnered with US Solar for permitting, design, and construction of the facility. After two years of development and construction, MSP began commercial operation in December 2024.
“Today, we celebrate more than a new solar project. We celebrate a step forward in the MRES promise to deliver reliable, affordable energy to the 61 member communities we serve,” said MRES president and CEO Matt Schull.
Located on 78 acres in Lyon County, the project features approximately 21,000 photovoltaic solar panels spanning 55 acres, along with an integrated battery energy-storage system.
The addition of battery storage allows solar energy generated during the day to be dispatched when it’s needed most, improving flexibility and reliability for the local electric grid.
Together, the solar and storage components can provide up to 15 MW of energy capacity and are expected to generate roughly 21,000 megawatt-hours annually.
“This project is a prime example of how solar energy and battery storage can work together to meet real-world energy demands,” said Reed Richerson, president of US Solar. “We’re thrilled to have partnered with these public power utilities to bring Marshall Solar Plus to life.”
The energy produced by MSP is interconnected to the City of Marshall’s distribution system and adds to the portfolio of clean, renewable resources in the MRES wholesale power mix.
MRES is a not-for-profit joint-action agency that provides wholesale electricity and energy-related services to 61 member municipalities in Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.
WMMPA was incorporated on June 16, 1976, as a municipal corporation and political subdivision of Minnesota. WMMPA has a formal relationship with MRES through which WMMPA finances the construction and acquisition of the generation and transmission facilities for MRES members. MRES provides the administrative services to manage WMMPA's portfolios. WMMPA's membership includes most of the Minnesota members of MRES.
