By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting, Inc. | Thursday, July 16, 2026

WARROAD, Minn. — At Monday night’s city council meeting, Warroad’s council unanimously authorized a signature on a lease agreement in the city’s lagoon area for a solar farm project. Mayor Tom Goldsmith shared more details on the agreement, and what it would entail:

Goldsmith expressed excitement for the opportunity being provided to the city, and talked about the timeline:

City Attorney Steve Anderson addressed the council regarding the legal protections built into the agreement. He explained that the developer would be required to procure a restoration bond to insure the restoration of the project site once the lease concludes. “It’s as good as having something in escrow,” Anderson noted. While some jurisdictions require county bonds for similar projects, he clarified that such requirements are not applicable in Warroad’s case.

While the exact megawatt capacity has not been fully finalized, similar utility-scale installations of this size generally generate tens of megawatts of clean energy. The developer has targeted a potential construction start date around 2028.