St. Cloud State University has completed an economic impact study for Fortune 200 company NextEra Energy Resources, highlighting the $300 million economic impact the Benton Solar project could have on the local region.
Dr. King Banaian, director of the Center for Policy Research and Community Engagement (CPRCE) at SCSU, said this is the third economic impact study that has been done since the Center’s establishment in 2024.
SCSU partnered with the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation to utilize the IMPLAN software, which was also used in evaluating the economic impact of Minneapolis-based Niron Magnetics establishing a manufacturing plant in Sartell. Other studies have included contributions from graduate students in SCSU’s Applied Economics program.
“We want to engage the community in things that are important to them; students working with a software like this can help us provide those answers to the community,” Banaian said. “Every time I do an economic impact study, I get the opportunity to show a student what the IMPLAN software can do, and it allows them to take that skill with them when they go out into the workforce.”
CPRCE’s study will eventually be entered into the public record. NextEra, one of the country’s largest energy infrastructure developers, will use the findings in their proposal to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to begin construction of the Benton Solar project in 2026.
The proposed 100-megawatt solar and 100-megawatt battery energy storage facility would be located east of St. Cloud in Benton County’s Minden Township. CPRCE’s study reported that the project would support eight net new jobs with a $6.4 million contribution to output, including about $710,000 in labor income annually.
“We want to help the St. Cloud community thrive by providing for economic development in the area and answering questions they have,” Banian said. “I want people to know they have a local option for economic impact studies.”
