Minnesota is looking to grow its share of electricity fueled by the sun and is counting on community solar gardens to help make it happen.
A sweeping state energy law approved this spring demands that utilities generate or procure 1.5 percent of their power from solar sources by 2020 — a big step up from where the state is now. Under that law, Xcel Energy Inc. has until Monday to tell how the giant electricity provider would like to manage the roll-out of the developer-driven gardens, which are neighborhood hubs of solar panels used to generate small amounts of power for the utility.
