128 MW Wild Springs Solar in Pennington County will contribute millions in
new tax revenue
MINNEAPOLIS, June 25,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, National Grid Renewables
announced the start of operation at its Wild Springs Solar Project
(Wild Springs) in Pennington County,
South Dakota. The largest solar project in South Dakota to date, Wild Springs is a 128
megawatt (MW) solar project located in the Southwest Power Pool
(SPP) with a 114 MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Basin
Electric Power Cooperative (Basin Electric).
"The completion of Wild Springs marks a significant step in our
commitment to bringing clean, sustainable energy solutions to the
state of South Dakota," said
Blake Nixon, President of National
Grid Renewables. "We're excited to see the impact of this project
reach local and state residents through additional tax revenue,
charitable contributions, and above all else – clean energy
solutions."
"Basin Electric has been evaluating solar generation for many
years," Chris Baumgartner, Basin
Electric senior vice president of Member and External Relations,
said at the event. "We are excited to add solar to our
all-of-the-above generation portfolio which includes dispatchable
resources such as coal and natural gas and non-dispatchable
resources such as wind and now solar. This diverse portfolio allows
all these resources to work together to provide the maximum amount
of reliability at the lowest-possible cost for our members."
Last summer, Wild Springs celebrated its groundbreaking with a
"Solar Does Good" community event, which highlighted the many
benefits for local and state communities. The project is
anticipated to provide approximately $29.5
million in direct economic impact over the first 20 years of
operations, including $12 million in
new tax revenue over the same time period. Additionally, and unique
to National Grid Renewables, Wild Springs plans to contribute
$500,000 in charitable giving to the
local New Underwood school
district over the first 20 years of operations.
"It's exciting to add Wild Springs to the New Underwood
Community. Since the groundbreaking of the Wild Springs Solar
Project, National Grid Renewables has been a great neighbor," said
Jack Trullinger, Mayor of
New Underwood. "The predicted tax
revenue along with the generous charitable contribution to the
school district is a very welcome bonus."
In addition to the economic benefits provided by the project,
Wild Springs is anticipated to avoid 190,000 metric tons of carbon
dioxide emissions annually – the equivalent to removing roughly
42,000 cars from the road for one year. The project will also
generate enough clean, homegrown energy to provide the equivalent
electrical usage of an estimated 37,000 homes each year, or 740,000
homes over the first 20 years of operation.
About National Grid Renewables
National Grid
Renewables develops, owns and operates large-scale renewable energy
assets across the United States,
including solar, wind, and energy storage. As a farmer-founded and
community-focused business, National Grid Renewables repowers
America's electricity grid by reigniting local economies and
reinvesting in a sustainable, clean energy future. National Grid
Renewables supports National Grid's vision of being at the heart of
a clean, fair, and affordable energy future for all. To learn more
about National Grid Renewables, visit
www.nationalgridrenewables.com or follow the company on
LinkedIn.
Contact:
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National Grid
Renewables
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press@nationalgridrenewables.com
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Media Relations:
612.429.7050
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SOURCE National Grid Renewables