Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS – a subsidiary of WEC Energy Group) are in the process of investing in $390 million of solar projects that will quadruple all of Wisconsin’s total solar energy production. Solar developers Invenergy and NextEra Energy Resources and the 2 utilities filed applications with the Public Service Commission for two large Wisconsin solar projects. Invenergy will develop the Badger Hollow Solar Farm with more than 1 million panels on approximately 3,500 acres in Iowa County. This project will provide $49 million in landowner payments and $30 million in local taxes to the area’s economy.
NextEra Energy will develop the 150 MW Two Creeks solar project in Manitowoc County near the Point Beach Nuclear Plant in the Town of Two Creeks and City of Two Rivers.
MGE plans to buy 50 MW of each installation increasing their solar power from less than 1 MW to over 100 megawatts. WPS will buy 100 MW of each solar farm for a total of 200 MW. They report that this solar generation will save WPS customers more than $100 million over the life of the projects. These projects may be in construction by Spring of 2019 and operational by end of 2020. PV Tech, bizjournals