Milwaukee, Wisconsin
By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent
Get ready for 300 MW of solar projects coming your way, Badger State.
Two of the state’s utilities – Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) and WEC Energy Group (WEC), through its Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) – will be partners in two projects in the state. The projects will be developed Invenergy and NextEra Energy Resources, according to applications filed with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) at a cost of approximately $390 million.
If approved by the end of 2018, construction of both projects is expected to begin by spring 2019, with both plants being operational by the end of 2020.
WPS would own 200 MW and MGE 100 MW of the combined output at two locations. Each plant is 150 MW, In both cases, WPS will 100 MW and MGE will own 50 MW of the output.
The Badger Hollow Solar Farm would be located in southwestern Wisconsin in Iowa County, and the Two Creeks solar project would be located in northeastern Wisconsin, near the Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant.
“This is another step forward as we move toward a more sustainable energy future and deep decarbonization,” said Jeff Keebler, MGE president and CEO. “These projects align with MGE’s short- and long-term carbon reduction goals. If approved, we look forward to the opportunity to grow cost-effective, clean energy to reliably serve our customers into the future.”
“Both of these projects represent opportunities for MGE to partner with proven solar developers with projects ready to begin the regulatory process,” Keebler added. “Renewable energy has decreased in cost and increased in efficiency in recent years. As with our Saratoga wind farm project currently under construction, Badger Hollow and Two Creeks are economic projects that lower long-term costs for our customers while meeting their energy needs for decades to come.”
“Investing in these solar projects is the first step in our overall plan to add solar capacity to our generation portfolio and save WPS customers more than $100 million over the economic lives of the projects, as compared to projected prices in the power market,” said Gale Klappa, CEO of WPS.