If approved, construction is scheduled to begin in the Spring of 2022 complete and in service by December of 2024. GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX, by Erik Gunn, Wisconsin Examiner April 8, 2022. In February, the Laborers and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The organization also calculated that converting property for the solar farm away from cropland would reduce runoff from polluted water, including 100,000 pounds of phosphorus. We surveyed thousands of readers and asked what they would like to see in a monthly giving program. Others fear Cambridge landfills will ultimately end up dealing with more than amillion defunct solarpanels. Policies like community solar and third-party solar would spur badly-needed growth in distributed renewable energy.. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com. and the Columbia School of Journalism. Cambridge, abedroom community of about 1,600 outside Madison, would become host to the largest solar farm in Wisconsin. DEIJ Policy | Ethics Policy | Privacy Policy. 
The disease, President of Madison Area Technical College Jack E. Daniels III. Hopefully as we continue to get more sophisticated not just the solar developers, but also the local communities and the ag community as we gain more experience with this we really can all work together to innovate and figure out where some of those win-win opportunities might be., This article was published May 4, 2022 at 7:03 am and last updated May 4, 2022 at 6:39 pm, Your email address will not be published. Solar panels power the James Webb telescope, VinFast receives $1.2 billion incentive package to manufacture EVs in North Carolina, Californians will still get burned under solar killer proposal, Manchin blocks climate bill, Biden said he will take executive action, California solar net metering comment period closed, heres what leaders said. Clean Wisconsin, which submitted expert testimony during the review process for the project, concluded that the Koshkonong facility will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15-20 million tons over its expected 35-year lifetime. 
Copyright 2022 by the Institute for Public Affairs (EIN: 94-2889692). Several other solar farms are in stages of development, but to make a larger dent in the generation of carbon dioxide that is primarily responsible for climate change that has been warming the atmosphere, activists have called for a much larger investment in the technology. The project is expected to eliminate 15-20 million tons of carbon dioxide. Large-scale solar can help protect the special places we, La Crosse finds a path to solar despite third-party, She helped create The Big Lie. Please be mindful of our community standards. We represent a lot of members that are in legacy energy production, says Kent Miller, assistant business manager of the Wisconsin Laborers Union District Council. As such, the project did not need to be reviewed by the PSC, and it voted 2 to 0 in April to build the facility. The state Public Service Commission (PSC) gave its final approval to the project Thursday. The Wisconsin Idea, an independent The PUC found the impacts were unfortunate but a necessary result of maintaining reliable electricity service with clean energy. In addition to setting rates for electrical, natural gas, water and other utilities, the PSC has oversight on utility-scale solar energy projects as well as on other large-scale alternative energy generation facilities. Your email address will not be published. to the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center with concerns of the projects proximity to Cambridge Elementary School. . The PUC says it followed the law. Representing the School District of Cambridge, Superintendent Bernard Nikolay wrote in opposition to the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center with concerns of the projects proximity to Cambridge Elementary School. And we need to make it easier for individual families and businesses to install their own on-site solar generation equipment. Koshkonong Solar Energy Center, a planned 300-megawatt solar project slated to go into service in 2025, was approved for construction by the Public Service Commission last month. Wisconsins first PSC-approved solar facility went online just a year and a half-ago. The piece that upsets people the most is that there is no recourse for, and no honest dialogue with, Invenergy, Vasby says, who would have solar panels 20feet from her property. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of photos and graphics. The Koshkonong Solar Energy Center is aproposed 300-megawatt solar farm that would span 2,400acres and power almost 80,000 households on asunny day. It is absolutely important that the Commission continues to approve utility-scale projects like this one. All that legacy work that our members and local workers primarily performed for the utilities has had good labor standards and good living wages, Miller says. The agreement ensures that the contractor will hire project workers locally and under union contracts. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: info@wisconsinexaminer.com. According to Heather Allen, executive director of renewable energy nonprofit Renew Wisconsin, the debate has not focused enough on the projects suite of benefits for the community. Chandler points out that large-scale solar and wind projects alone will fall short of whats needed to stave off the worst impacts of our warming climate. Our analysis showed phosphorous runoff alone will be reduced by as much as 96 percent across the project site once row crops like corn and soybeans are replaced with solar panels and native grasslands. The peak generation for solar power is generally in the middle of the day, but the demand for electricity increases when the sun starts to go down, Litchfield said. Beyond environmental benefits, Litchfield said the project will contributor to a healthy economy given some family farmers see solar energy as a tool to keep their farms running. Koshkonong Solar Energy Center has stated that it intends to own and operate the project or develop and sell it to a utility or independent power producer. Solars another crop, as Duane Hinchley sees it. If approved, Koshkonong could double this output by 2023. The project includes 165 MW of battery storage and would generate enough clean, reliable electricity to power more than 60,000 homes. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. The Town of Christiana would receive more than $250,000 a year in utility aid revenue from the plant. | Unsplash). Vasby says she wants smaller-scale solar projectssuch as 60,000 solar panels on private roofs rather than 60,000 on farmlandand thinks this project is too large for her rural community. Arnold said these batteries will be able to store and retain energy generated from the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center to provide power even if the sun isnt shining. Here in Wisconsin, we are on the cusp of real progress, and there are a number of solutions that would help Wisconsin families and businesses expand solar energy use. Send us a note with the Letter to the Editor form. Today the Public Service Commission (PSC) voted to approve construction of the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center, a 300 megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar farm proposed for Dane County. Select one or more editions for targeted, up to date information delivered straight to your inbox. The Town of Christiana is asking the courts to reverse the Public Service Commissions (PSC) approval of installation, which would produce enough electricity to power about a third of the countys homes. When the project is finished, it is to be sold to a consortium of utilities, Wisconsin Electric Power Company, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation and Madison Gas and Electric Company. The towns complaints include the arguments that the PSC wrongly approved a project that violates the state Constitution, did not have an adequate environmental review and was presented under false pretenses, among other deficiencies. Koshkonong Solar Energy Center, a planned 300-megawatt solar project slated to go into service in 2025. by the Public Service Commission last month. Arnold agreed that the project would create jobs for the construction and maintenance of the project. Clean Wisconsin is a charitable organization exempt from taxation under section 501c(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. The projects inclusion of battery storage is an important component, according to Chelsea Chandler, who directs climate and energy programs for the environmental group Clean Wisconsin, ensuring reliable power from the solar farm when overcast or rainy skies prevent sunlight from generating electricity. But some Dane County residents opposed the approval of the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center. While many environmental advocates, farmers and residents support the infrastructure, asmall opposition isgrowing. We also offer comprehensive global coverage of the most important solar markets worldwide. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. There is a lot of room for creativity and innovation with solar projects like Koshkonong and the project at Kegonsa, Arnold said. The project is also expected to generate $1.2 million every year in revenue divided among Dane County and the two host townships, Litchfield said. UW team competes in Elon Musks carbon removal competitionTo reach climate goals, the International Panel on Climate Change predicts that to reach the worlds climate goal of warming Read. Have thoughts or reactions to this or any other piece that you'd like to share? Now, for the first time, we're offering three different levels of support, with rewards at each level, including a magazine subscription, books, tote bags, events and moreall starting at less than 17 cents a day. And we need both smaller-scale, rooftop solar and large, utility-scale solar. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. And everyone who flips on a light switch in Southern Wisconsin, especially if youre in MG&E or We Energies territories, this is a big part of a transition to a clean energy future and were delighted and proud to be involved in it.. Your email address will not be published. When Invenergy first came to Cambridge, according to Tara Vasby, aresident opposing the project, the solar farm proceeded under the cover of darkness. Aidan OConnor, renewable project developer at Invenergy, says the company began contacting farmers in late 2018. in opposition to the project raised concerns about the aesthetics of the solar panels, the halt of crop production on efficient croplands and property values, among others. Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy pv magazine 2022, Welcome to pv magazine USA. The proponents argue the project is needed to help in the move to clean energy, and the impacts of solar panels pale in comparison to the alternative. He's a graduate of Beloit College (English Comp.) Koshkonong Solar Energy Center is proposing a 300 MW solar facility and 165 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) that would sit on approximately 4,600 acres of primarily agricultural land in the towns of Christiana and Deerfield in Dane County, Wisconsin. Deputy Editor Erik Gunn reports and writes on work and the economy, health policy and related subjects, for the Wisconsin Examiner. When the commission approved a solar farm in Grant County in May 2021, the agency included a requirement that the developer submit quarterly reports on its efforts to recruit Wisconsin workers for jobs on the project in response to union comments during the projects review. The Hinchleys, who operate amid-sized dairy and hay farm on the outskirts of Cambridge, have leased approximately 1,000acres (of their 2,600) to Invenergy for the next 25years. Join our newsletter. UW-Madison's Premier Independent Student Newspaper, All Content The Badger Herald, 1995 - 2022. Were really looking forward for this project to be able to deliver for the landowners whove signed up for this, Litchfield said. One major benefit of the project is the 165-megawatt battery storage system. No political movement can be healthy unless it has its own press to inform it, educate it and orient it. In February, the Laborers and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers signed a project labor agreement with a Minnesota-based contractor to build a solar farm in the Kenosha County town of Paris. In Wisconsins great progressive tradition, we aim to hold the powerful accountable to the people, follow the money, and dig out the truth. Still, Arnold said the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center is important for the campus community because UW is one of the largest electricity users in the state. Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Construction is to start later this year with a target date of December 2024 for completion. You can protect water quality by reducingrunoff.. With each new project, Arnold said everyone learns a lot. Anne is a seasoned writer, editor, and journalist. The prairie will improve water quality and create habitat for animals and pollinators. pv magazine USA offers daily updates of the latest photovoltaics news. For farmers like Duane and Tina Hinchley, leasing land for solar fields may offer afinancial lifeline. Scott Walker, said that in her view employment numbers are outside the scope of this proceeding.. In response, the company has launched a relentless anti-union effort. The order states that The fact that a project may be acquired by a public utility at some point in the future does not transform the project into a non-merchant plant.. I think were really on the cusp of change here, Chandler says. By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment. Koshkonong is aproject of Invenergy, amultinational energy mega-developer. That solar farm is also being developed by Invenergy. According to Midwest Energy News, at least 30 utility-scale solar farms are in development in Wisconsin. With this in mind, we ask the Public Service Commission to approve the Koshkonong Solar Project to stimulate job creation and new industry in south central Wisconsin.. In a petition filed in Dane County Circuit Court, the town alleges that the project would unreasonably interfere with orderly land use and development plans and would adversely affect public health, as well as amenities such as views, historic sites, geological formations, the aesthetics of land and water and recreational use.. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our web site. Our states power utilities are making some real strides, like investing in more solar energy capacity and storage, she says. 
The company is an independent power producer and a wholly owned subsidiary of Invenergy, a Chicago-based power generation development and operations company.
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