LAKE WILSON — A proposed 150-megawatt solar farm with battery storage got approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission this week.

On Thursday, the PUC approved a permit for the Lake Wilson Solar Energy project in Murray County. The project will be able to store up to 95 megawatts of electricity in a four-hour battery system. The solar farm will charge the battery system when the sun is shining, and then supply energy back to the electric grid when needed, the PUC said in a news release.

The PUC said the Lake Wilson Solar Energy Center was the first project of its kind permitted by the Commission.

“We are grateful for the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s decision to approve the Lake Wilson Energy Center’s permit application, and look forward to delivering the first utility-scale solar and energy storage facility to the state,” said Monica Monterrosa, director of renewable development at Invenergy.

Invenergy, a renewable energy company with solar and wind power installations around the country, applied for a site permit for the Lake Wilson solar project in February 2023.

The proposed Lake Wilson Solar Energy Center is a 150-megawatt solar farm that will be located in Leeds Township in Murray County. The planned site of the solar installation is south of Minnesota Highway 30, between the cities of Hadley and Lake Wilson.

The electricity generated by the solar project will connect to the grid through an interconnection to an existing Xcel Energy transmission line that runs through the site.

Invenergy spokespeople said the solar facility and battery component would produce enough electricity to power more than 31,000 homes. The project will invest more than $90 million in Murray County through tax revenue, land costs and lease payments, and wages and benefits, Invenergy said.

PUC spokespeople said commissioners discussed the economic impacts of the solar project during the public meeting to approve it. Those impacts included increased tax revenue for Murray County, as well as the creation of about 250 local construction jobs, and five full-time positions once the solar farm was operational, the PUC said.

“My colleagues and I are excited to approve Minnesota’s first permit for a solar and battery storage facility”, said PUC Chair Katie Sieben. “This project will bring skilled jobs, economic development and increased reliability to our grid.”