Opportunity to join Lakes & Prairies Solar Co-op ends March 28

FERGUS FALLS — West Central Initiative and Solar United Neighbors of Minnesota announce that the membership window for their joint effort, the Lakes & Prairies Solar Co-op, will close on March 28.

Interested residents across nine west central Minnesota counties and White Earth Nation have until this deadline to join the collective solar purchasing initiative, which offers an opportunity to access affordable solar energy while supporting the region’s economic growth.

The solar co-op is free to join, with no obligation to go solar.

The initiative represents a strategic partnership between WCI and SUN to advance solar energy adoption across the region.

“The response from our communities has been remarkable,” Anna M. Wasescha, president of West Central Initiative, said in a press release. “SUN’s expertise in organizing solar co-ops, combined with our deep community connections, has created a powerful model for advancing renewable energy adoption while strengthening our local economy.”

“With over 50 members already joined, the Lakes & Prairies Solar Co-op demonstrates the strong desire for solar energy in west central Minnesota,” John Anderson, SUN Minnesota’s program associate, said in a press release. “The co-op’s group buying power has already attracted competitive bids from seven different local installers, and we’re excited to see the selection process move forward with our member-led committee.”

SUN is an installer neutral non-profit that has helped more than 300 Minnesota households, farmers, and small businesses go solar through 24 successful co-ops across the state.

The Lakes & Prairies Solar Co-op serves residents in Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse, and Wilkin counties. A committee of co-op members is currently evaluating proposals from local solar installers through a group bidding process, ensuring members receive both competitive pricing and quality installation services — while safeguarding against potential scams or misleading offers.

Residents who join before the March 28 deadline will still have full access to the co-op’s benefits, including:

• Group pricing through bulk purchasing power
• Support through the installation process
• Unbiased information to help make informed decisions
• No obligation to purchase until reviewing specific proposals
• Free satellite roof review to determine your properties suitability for solar.
• Support through the installation process from SUN staff.

For more information about the Lakes & Prairies Solar Co-op visit www.solarunitedneighbors.org/lakesandprairies.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.