Geronimo Energy has signed a power purchase agreement with Basin Electric Power Cooperative for the Wild Springs solar project.
Wild Springs is a 128MW solar energy project located in Pennington County, South Dakota, approximately 20 miles east of Rapid City, and is due to begin operating in 2022.
“Historically, there has been a misconception that solar in the northern regions of the United States wasn’t feasible,” says David Reamer, president for Geronimo Energy.
“Both Geronimo and Basin Electric recognized that the addition of solar to its overall generation fleet not only offers customers a clean, economic option for their electricity, but it also diversifies a utility’s portfolio.”
Wild Springs will be the largest solar project in South Dakota once operational and will be located in the service area of West River Electric Association.
The project is estimated to offset carbon dioxide emissions by 190,000 metric tons annually according to the EPA’s greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator.
Current estimations for the project’s economic benefits total over $17 million throughout the first 20 years of operation.
Basin Electric is a not-for-profit wholesale power provider to 141-member cooperative systems in nine states. In South Dakota, Basin Electric transmits its power supply to two generation and transmission cooperatives, Rushmore Electric Power Cooperative (Rushmore Electric) and East River Electric Power Cooperative.
“For the first time in its history, Basin Electric will buy solar generation on a large scale to serve our members,” says Paul Sukut, Basin Electric Power Cooperative boss.
“The board’s decision to add solar generation to our resource portfolio is to continue with our all-of-the-above strategy, as well as solar generation becoming a more economic energy source. We are excited about adding solar to our already diverse generation mix.”
Geronimo’s South Dakota operating project portfolio includes the recently completed Crocker Wind Farm, a 200 MW wind project located in Clark County, South Dakota. Geronimo also successfully developed the operational Pierre Solar Project, a joint effort with the City of Pierre and Missouri River Energy Services, located on City property in Hughes County, South Dakota.