We Energies and MGE have filed a joint application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to acquire the 150MW solar capacity
Image: We Energies and MGE to own 150MW solar portfolio. Photo: Courtesy of PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay
We Energies and Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) have formed a partnership to acquire the remaining 150MW of Badger Hollow solar farm.
The two organisations have filed a joint application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. Out of the 150MW capacity, 100MW will be owned by We Energies and MGE will own 50MW.
If regulators approve the deal, the 150MW of the Badger Hollow solar farm will begin generating electricity in 2021.
WEC Energy Group president and CEO Kevin Fletcher said: “This is another significant step in our transition to a clean energy future. Along with the environmental benefits of solar energy, this purchase will lower costs to customers over the life of the project.”
Badger Hollow will be located in Iowa County, near the villages of Montfort and Cobb, about 12 miles (19.3km) west of Dodgeville in southwestern Wisconsin. The complete 300MW project is being developed by Invenergy.
Last year, Invenergy had applied for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to build the solar plant.
First phase of Badger Hollow solar park will begin operations next year
In May, MGE and subsidiary of WEC Energy Group subsidiary Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) received regulatory approval to own the 150MW portfolio of Badger Hollow. MGE will own 50MW and WPS will own 100MW of the first phase of the project. The first phase is expected to begin commercial operations by the end of next year.
MGE chairman, president and CEO Jeff Keebler said: “This addition of cost-effective solar energy will help MGE reach our goal of net-zero carbon electricity by the year 2050 while also helping us to manage long-term costs to our customers.
“This is yet another step in our active transition toward greater use of cleaner energy sources to serve our community.”
In January, We Energy had acquired an 80% stake in 97MW Coyote Ridge wind farm from Avangrid Renewables for $145m (£119.7m). The wind farm will be put into service by the end of this year and 100% of electricity generated from it will be sold to Google under a corporate power purchase agreement.