Minnesota Power and the Minnesota National Guard will join forces to build a solar energy project at Camp Ripley, the largest military base in Minnesota. Duluth-based Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE Inc., and the Minnesota National Guard recently signed a memorandum of understanding outlining plans to build a 10MW utility-scale solar energy array at the central Minnesota camp. The project will be the largest solar energy installation on military property in the state. The utility will also identify ways to help Camp Ripley reduce its energy usage by 30% and install backup generation for energy security. Projected to cost $25 million, the solar energy project could be completed in the 2015-2016 time frame.