South Dakota’s Largest Solar Farm Goes Online With A Capacity Of 128 Megawatts

In the realm of sustainable energy along with electric vehicles (EVs), National Grid Renewables has announced the completion and activation of South Dakota’s largest solar farm, the Wild Springs Solar Project.

Wild Springs Solar Project

Located in Pennington County, the solar farm delivers a capacity of 128 megawatts (MW) and is set to make a noteworthy impact on the region’s clean energy production. Wild Springs Solar Project, situated within the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) that manages the central United States (U.S.) electric grid, has secured a 114 MW power purchase agreement with Basin Electric Power Cooperative. This results in the partnership ensuring a steady demand for the clean electricity generated by the solar farm.

Notably, the Wild Springs Solar Project is expected to generate enough clean electricity to power around 37,000 homes annually, or 740,000 homes over its first 20 years of operation. Furthermore, the solar farm is projected to avoid 190,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. As a result, this issue equivalent to removing 42,000 gas vehicles from the road.

Economic Benefits For South Dakota

In terms of economic benefits, the Wild Springs Solar Project is anticipated to deliver around $29.5 million in direct economic impact, including $12 million in new tax revenue over its first two decades of operation. While South Dakota ranks 42nd among states for installed solar capacity, with only 268 MW currently installed, the starting operation of the Wild Springs Solar Project is bound to change that.

Blake Nixon, president of National Grid Renewables, expressed enthusiasm about the project’s completion stating, “The completion of Wild Springs marks a significant step in our commitment to bringing clean, sustainable energy solutions to the state of South Dakota. 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.”

The activation of the Wild Springs Solar Project presents a major step toward the progression to advance solar energy solutions that aligns with the goals of EVs in South Dakota’s renewable energy journey. With the state demonstrating its aim to a more sustainable environment, the acceleration toward the transition to solar energy utilizations and electric mobility is on track.

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