# Sherburne County Generating Station *Coal-fired power plant in Becker, Minnesota, being retired in stages and replaced by the Sherco Solar project* The Sherburne County Generating Station, known as Sherco, is a coal-fired power plant in [[Becker]], [[Minnesota]]. The project's *Sherburne Energy Brief* describes it as being replaced by Xcel's Sherco Solar project.[^1] The brief states that Units 1 and 2 retire by the end of 2026 and Unit 3 by 2030.[^2] Each fact in this article is attributed to that brief. The orders, filings and agency comments it describes are not yet cited directly in this record. The brief describes the plant as the core of the local tax base. By the county administration's account it is roughly 70% of the [[City of Becker]]'s tax base and 12% of the county's.[^3] It also supplies about $5 million of the Becker school district's $12 million in annual local tax income.[^2] The brief sets two state actions beside their recorded results. The [[Public Utilities Commission]]'s 2022 order retiring Unit 3 required Xcel to hold stakeholder meetings with the City of Becker and to report on economic development. The brief states that four years later, Becker's economic development consists of a $150,000 philanthropic grant for a business incubator.[^4] The [[Minnesota Department of Commerce]] and the Attorney General's Office both opposed the Sherco Solar proposal on price, and the proposal was approved.[^5] ## Who The Public Utilities Commission issued the 2022 order retiring Unit 3. The same order opened a separate docket on site remediation.[^4] Xcel proposed Sherco Solar, and the order required Xcel to hold stakeholder meetings with the City of Becker.[^5][^4] The Department of Commerce and the Attorney General's Office opposed the Sherco Solar proposal.[^5] The [[Legislature]] appropriated $20.5 million for water and sewer service to the industrial park connected with a [[Google]] data-center project at the site.[^6] The brief does not identify the party affiliation of the commissioners, legislators or officials involved, and none is stated here. ## What The brief states that the coal plant employed more than two hundred people.[^1] By the brief's account, its replacement, Sherco Solar, will cost ratepayers more than $1.1 billion across its phases. It employs about 400 temporary construction workers and has eighteen permanent positions.[^1] The brief puts the cost of dismantling the plant at $215,439,547, after a scrap credit of $39,158,372. It attributes that figure to a utility filing presented to a state advisory committee.[^7] ## When Google announced a $600 million data center at the Sherco site in January 2019. The Legislature appropriated $20.5 million for the industrial park's water and sewer. According to the brief, Google's power affiliate never gave notice to proceed, and Xcel terminated the agreements. Google withdrew in December 2022. The brief states that the pipes are in the ground.[^6] The Public Utilities Commission's order retiring Unit 3 was issued in 2022.[^4] Units 1 and 2 are scheduled to retire by the end of 2026, and Unit 3 by 2030.[^2] ## Where The plant is in Becker, in Sherburne County. The brief reports that the plant accounts for roughly 70% of the City of Becker's tax base and 12% of the county's. The brief attributes the 70% figure to the county administration.[^3] The same entry lists five published dependence figures: 65%, 68%, 70%, 77%, and 98% at peak. It describes these as four figures from four institutions, lists five values, and does not name the institutions.[^3] The brief reports that the plant provides about $5 million of the school district's $12 million in annual local tax income. That is about forty percent, in a district serving 2,800 children.[^2] ## How Commerce found that the request for proposals for Sherco Solar was "poorly designed, creating unnecessary limits which reduced the number of bids received and as a result likely inflated the overall price."[^5] Three bids were received, and one of them was Xcel's own. The Attorney General's Office said ratepayers would pay hundreds of millions more than under competitive alternatives. The proposal was approved. The brief does not give the date of approval or a vote.[^5] ## How much - $5 million of the school district's $12 million in annual local tax income.[^2] - More than $1.1 billion in ratepayer cost for Sherco Solar across its phases.[^1] - $215,439,547 in dismantling cost, after a $39,158,372 scrap credit.[^7] - $600 million announced for the Google data center, and $20.5 million appropriated for water and sewer.[^6] - A $150,000 philanthropic grant for a business incubator, which the brief describes as Becker's economic development four years after the 2022 order.[^4] ## How many - The plant has three generating units. Two retire by the end of 2026 and one by 2030.[^2] - The Sherco Solar procurement drew three bids, one of them Xcel's.[^5] - Sherco Solar has about 400 temporary construction jobs and eighteen permanent positions. The coal plant employed more than two hundred people.[^1] - The school district serves 2,800 children.[^2] ## In the at-issue record - **Tax base dependence.** The county administration's account puts the plant at roughly 70% of Becker's tax base and 12% of the county's. The entry lists other published figures of 65%, 68% and 77%, and 98% at peak.[^3] - **School district.** About $5 million of the district's $12 million in annual local tax income comes from the plant.[^2] - **Google project.** A $600 million data center was announced in January 2019, and the Legislature appropriated $20.5 million for the industrial park's water and sewer. Google withdrew in December 2022, and the pipes are in the ground.[^6] - **Procurement.** Commerce found the request for proposals poorly designed, and the Attorney General's Office objected on price. Three bids were received, one of them Xcel's, and the proposal was approved.[^5] - **Retirement docket.** The 2022 order opened a remediation docket requiring stakeholder meetings with Becker and reports on economic development. The brief records a $150,000 incubator grant as the outcome four years later.[^4] - **Demolition.** The utility filing puts dismantling at $215,439,547, net of a $39,158,372 scrap credit.[^7] ## Notes [^1]: Minnesota wiki at-issue record, *Sherburne Energy Brief*, entry AI-Sherburne-069 (n.d.) — Sherco Solar ratepayer cost of more than $1.1 billion, about 400 temporary and eighteen permanent jobs, and more than two hundred jobs at the coal plant; the entry lists mn.gov and startribune.com as its sources. The URL is the entry's anchor, a March 2025 White House presidential action, which does not itself state these facts. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/ [^2]: Minnesota wiki at-issue record, *Sherburne Energy Brief*, entry AI-Sherburne-063 (2026) — the school district's $5 million of $12 million, 2,800 children, and retirement of Units 1–2 by end of 2026 and Unit 3 by 2030; the entry lists mn.gov and startribune.com as its sources. The URL is the entry's anchor, not the source of these facts. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/ [^3]: Minnesota wiki at-issue record, *Sherburne Energy Brief*, entry AI-Sherburne-062 (n.d.) — 70% of Becker's tax base, 12% of the county's, and the listed figures of 65%, 68%, 70%, 77% and 98% at peak; the entry lists house.mn.gov and lrl.mn.gov as its sources. The URL is the entry's anchor, not the source of these facts. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/ [^4]: Minnesota wiki at-issue record, *Sherburne Energy Brief*, entry AI-Sherburne-071 (2022) — the 2022 Public Utilities Commission order retiring Unit 3, the remediation docket, the stakeholder and economic-development requirements, and the $150,000 grant; the entry lists mn.gov and blog.stcloudshines.com as its sources. The URL is the entry's anchor, not the source of these facts. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/ [^5]: Minnesota wiki at-issue record, *Sherburne Energy Brief*, entry AI-Sherburne-068 (n.d.) — the Commerce finding on the request for proposals, the three bids including Xcel's, the Attorney General's price objection, and approval; the entry lists content.govdelivery.com and startribune.com as its sources. The URL is the entry's anchor, not the source of these facts. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/ [^6]: Minnesota wiki at-issue record, *Sherburne Energy Brief*, entry AI-Sherburne-065 (2019) — the Google data-center announcement, the $20.5 million appropriation, termination of the agreements, and Google's December 2022 withdrawal; the entry lists knsiradio.com and startribune.com as its sources. The URL is the entry's anchor, not the source of these facts. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/ [^7]: Minnesota wiki at-issue record, *Sherburne Energy Brief*, entry AI-Sherburne-070 (n.d.) — dismantling cost of $215,439,547 after a $39,158,372 scrap credit, from a utility filing presented to a state advisory committee; the entry lists mn.gov and revisor.mn.gov as its sources. The URL is the entry's anchor, not the source of these facts. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/protecting-americas-bank-account-against-fraud-waste-and-abuse/