Connexus Energy

Solar Snapshot

Client Introduction

Connexus Energy is Minnesota’s largest electric cooperative, serving more than 150,000 members across eight counties. As part of its long-term energy strategy, Connexus sought to expand its renewable energy portfolio while finding a productive use for land with limited redevelopment potential.

“I’ve seen this go from a hole in the ground to a mountain,” said Brian Burandt, CEO of Connexus Energy, of the Anoka-Ramsey Closed Landfill, land his own grandfather once hayed before it became a dump. Today, that mountain has a new use: roughly 24 acres of the landfill’s buffer area now host Ramsey II Renewable Station, a solar array that Cedar Creek Energy designed, procured, constructed, and now maintains for the long term on behalf of the project’s owners Kearsarge Energy.

Project Background

The opportunity is set on nearly 25 acres of buffer land adjacent to the Anoka-Ramsey Closed Landfill. Although the site ranked among Minnesota’s top candidates for landfill-based solar development, legal, financial, and regulatory barriers prevented re-development. For over more than a decade, Connexus worked alongside the State of Minnesota, the City of Ramsey, and multiple state agencies to create a path forward. Legislative action in 2021 removed bond restrictions that had prevented solar development at the site and opened the door for the project to move forward. For a project of this size and complexity, a strong development and financing structure was just as important as the engineering and construction work. Cedar Creek Energy helped bring together the framework needed to support the project, including a 30-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that allows Connexus to purchase the energy generated by the array while Kearsarge Energy LP finances, owns, and operates the system. This structure helped turn a long-discussed opportunity into a viable project.

Cedar Creek’s Approach

After years of planning and coordination among project stakeholders, Connexus Energy selected Cedar Creek Energy to design, procure, and construct the solar array. The project required an experienced partner capable of delivering a reliable solar solution on a challenging site while maintaining an aggressive construction schedule.

Cedar Creek designed a 5.046 MW DC / 4.125 MW AC solar array using terrain-following single-axis trackers and bifacial solar modules. These technologies allowed the system to work with the site’s existing terrain while maximizing energy production throughout the year.

Construction began in March 2026 and commercial operation started in September 2026. Despite the site’s complexity, Cedar Creek delivered the project within a six-month construction window and completed the work with zero recordable safety incidents.

Today, Cedar Creek continues to support the project through a long-term operations and maintenance agreement, helping ensure reliable performance for years to come.

“This project represents what’s possible when utilities, developers, regulators and state leaders work together toward long-term energy solutions,” said Alex Gast, COO of Cedar Creek Energy.

Final Results

Put Underused Land to Work: Nearly 25 acres of landfill buffer land now generate renewable energy instead of sitting idle.
Local Power Generation: The project is expected to generate approximately 7,900 MWh of electricity annually, enough to power about 750 to 790 homes each year.
Long-Term Energy Strategy: The 30-year PPA helps provide long-term access to locally generated renewable energy while supporting Connexus’s energy goals.
Smart Site Design: Terrain-following trackers, bifacial panels, and pollinator-friendly vegetation help maximize the site’s value and performance.
A Model for Future Projects: Ramsey II Renewable Station demonstrates how closed landfill sites can be successfully redeveloped for renewable energy production.

Why Cedar Creek Energy

Cedar Creek Energy helps utilities, businesses, developers, and public-sector organizations bring solar projects from concept to completion. From project development and EPC services to long-term operations and maintenance, Cedar Creek works with customers to deliver reliable solar solutions that create lasting value for their organizations and communities.