Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to expand its popular Shared Solar program with a second, large-scale solar installation in the City of Middleton.
Image: A 5MW solar array will be built at the Middleton Municipal Airport. Photo: Courtesy of PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay.
“An expansion of Shared Solar is another step toward meeting our goal of net-zero carbon electricity by the year 2050,” said MGE Chairman, President and CEO Jeff Keebler. “We look forward to building on the program’s success and to welcoming new Shared Solar participants.”
A 5-megawatt (MW) solar array will be built at the Middleton Municipal Airport, also known as Morey Field. Seventy percent of the array will serve the Shared Solar program. The City of Middleton and the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District will use the remaining 30 percent under a separate program.
The expansion of Shared Solar provides residential and business customers across MGE’s electric service territory the opportunity to power their home or business with locally generated solar energy. Customers reserve a portion of the electricity produced by the array. Subscribers to the voluntary program can purchase up to half of their annual electricity use through Shared Solar.
“Shared Solar is truly a partnership, both with the City of Middleton and our customers,” Keebler added. “This project advances the city’s and MGE’s goals by providing more locally generated, cost-effective solar energy to our community grid.”
Construction is expected to begin this summer, with the solar array producing electricity for customers this fall. Customers may visit mge.com/sharedsolar to enroll. Participation is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
MGE’s first Shared Solar project is a 500-kilowatt array located on the roof of Middleton’s Municipal Operations Center. It began serving customers in January 2017.
Advancing shared energy goals with MGE’s Renewable Energy Rider
A 1-MW share of the 5-MW array will serve the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District under MGE’s Renewable Energy Rider (RER). A .5-MW share will serve the City of Middleton under a separate RER agreement.
Under a RER, MGE partners with a large energy user to tailor a renewable energy solution to meet that customer’s energy needs. The model advances shared sustainability goals and grows clean energy in our community.
Source: Company Press Release.