A 20 MW solar farm in Fitchburg on part of the O’Brien farm is in development stages with EDF Renewables. MGE plans to purchase the solar farm, which is in its service territory. As with a portion of the 5 MW Middleton Solar Shares project highlighted in the October Newsletter, the solar power would be available through Renewable Energy Rider to commercial, government and school customers.
MGE is building a 9 MW solar system for Dane County operations at the Dane County Regional Airport, as well. In sum, 34 MW of new solar power is being added locally in 2020, in addition to the 150 MW MGE has purchased from the solar farms in Iowa and Kewaunee Counties that will come on line in 2021. This will amount to more than one-third of MGE’s owned capacity generated from solar in Wisconsin. WSJ