Public comments are open now through February 23 for Muddy Creek Solar, a 322 Megawatt (MW) solar project paired with a 300 MW battery energy storage system. If approved, the solar project will be located in Dunn County and is planned for completion in 2029. Projects like this have a wide range of local and statewide benefits. Show your support for this project and tell the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) why you support the approval of a vital solar project in Wisconsin!
You can use some of the listed benefits below to help you craft your message.
Muddy Creek Solar isn’t just about the clean energy it will produce. The 322 MW facility in Dunn County has many benefits:
Economic Growth: According to witness testimony provided by David Loomis of Strategic Economic Research, Muddy Creek Solar will create more than 800 temporary jobs during construction, as well as more than 52 good-paying, long-term jobs across Wisconsin due to economic stimulus related to the project.
Community Benefits: Once in service, Muddy Creek Solar will contribute more than $1,605,000 in utility-aid payments each year. $909,500 of this will go to Dunn County, while the remaining $695,000 will go to the Town of Spring Brook. During its 25-year life, the project will contribute a total of over $40 million in utility-aid payments.
Emissions Reductions: Muddy Creek Solar will reduce energy production emissions by 954 million pounds of CO2 in the first year of operations. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, this is the equivalent of taking more than 94,000 vehicles off the road for a full year. Additionally, non-GHG emissions reductions will result in health, economic, and environmental benefits. Wisconsin can expect more than $2 million in economic benefits associated with public health improvements in Muddy Creek Solar’s first year of operations alone.
Submit your comments today and tell the PSC you support the approval of Muddy Creek Solar. Feel free to use some of the bullet points above to craft your own unique message.
On Wednesday, January 21, 2026, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) approved the Emerald Bluffs Solar Project, a 225 Megawatt (MW) solar project in Juneau County. This project is planned for completion in the latter half of 2027. Projects like this have a wide range of local and statewide benefits. Thanks to the support from the public, we were able to get this project across the finish line!
Emerald Bluffs is another exciting step in the right direction as we work to expand renewable energy across the state. Wisconsin has now reached a point where we have 2089 MW of solar in operation, nearly 4,000 MW approved and in the development phase, and more than 1,000 MW of solar seeking approval from the PSC. Altogether, we’re hopeful that we’ll have nearly 7,500 MW of solar online across Wisconsin in the near future. Together, we can keep this momentum going.
Emerald Bluffs Solar Project’s Benefits Go Beyond Renewable Energy:
Economic Growth: Emerald Bluffs will create nearly 1,000 jobs during construction, as well as more than 20 good-paying, long-term operations and maintenance positions.
Community Benefits: Once in service, Emerald Bluffs will contribute more than $1,125,000 in utility-aid payments each year. Over $637,000 of this will go to Juneau County, while the remaining $487,500 will go to the towns of Lemonweir and Seven Mile Creek. During its 35-year life, the project will contribute a total of $39.375 million in utility-aid payments.
Emissions Reductions: Emerald Bluffs will reduce energy production emissions by 746 million pounds of CO2 in the first year of operations. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, this is the equivalent of taking more than 73,500 vehicles off the road for a full year. These emissions reductions will result in health, economic, and environmental benefits.
The on-site renewable mandate in AB 840 is a grid reliability trap.
Wisconsin is at the front edge of a new electricity boom. Data centers, especially those powering artificial intelligence, are arriving with power demands greater than those of many towns and cities. This can be an opportunity for economic growth and long-term energy strength. But only if we write the rules correctly.
That’s why one provision in Assembly Bill 840 (AB 840) should be rejected outright:
“Any renewable energy facility that primarily serves the load of a data center shall be located at the site of the data center.”
On the surface, it sounds reasonable. If a data center claims it will use renewable energy, then the renewable energy should be “right there,” on-site. Simple. But energy policy isn’t made in slogans. It’s made in engineering and economics. And this provision is not a renewable energy policy at all.
It’s a natural gas mandate in disguise. Wisconsin should demand clean power at scale, not performative compliance. Large data centers can draw hundreds of megawatts around the clock. That kind of demand can’t realistically be met with on-site renewables alone. At least in most locations in Wisconsin. Wind and solar require significant acreage, and the best renewable resources aren’t always near data-center sites.
So what happens when lawmakers require renewables to be built in a confined or impractical space? Renewables can’t meet demand. And when renewables can’t be deployed effectively, the market defaults to the only thing left — fossil fuels.
That means AB 840’s on-site rule doesn’t “ensure renewables.” It blocks renewables and guarantees fossil fuel generation, exactly the opposite of what Wisconsin needs for long-term energy security and economic resilience.
Grid reliability comes from flexibility, not forced geography. Here’s the core problem: the electric grid is not designed around one-to-one power matching. Wisconsin’s power system works because it is a network. We build generation where it makes sense, where the renewable resource is strongest, where land is available, where interconnection is possible, and where transmission can support it. Then electricity flows across the system.
This is not a partisan argument. It’s how modern power systems are built. Requiring renewable energy facilities to be located only on-site at data centers ignores the basic physics of the grid and forces the wrong kind of infrastructure in the wrong place.
Even worse, it undermines reliability. Concentrating generation and load at the same node can create congestion and interconnection bottlenecks. Reliability improves when generation is diversified and distributed geographically, wind in one region, solar in another, storage where it helps most, and transmission planned intentionally.
AB 840’s location requirement is the opposite of that. It is central planning, not grid planning.
If Wisconsin wants ratepayer protection, fine, but we can’t sabotage the growth of clean energy. There’s a lot in AB 840 worth serious discussion. Wisconsin absolutely must prevent large private loads from shifting costs onto families, farmers, and small businesses. That’s non-negotiable.
But if lawmakers are serious about protecting Wisconsinites, they should also consider what happens when natural gas becomes the default fuel for powering the new economy. Gas plants lock in decades of fuel dependence. And fuel dependence means price volatility. Families don’t just pay for the plant — they pay for the fuel, forever. That’s not energy security, that’s vulnerability.
Wisconsin should not build its economic future on imported fuel with prices set by national and global markets. We should build it on resources we can produce right here: wind and solar, paired with storage, demand response, transmission planning, and other grid reliability tools.
There’s a better way, and it’s common sense.
If lawmakers want data centers to contribute to Wisconsin’s energy future, the bill should do three things:
Require meaningful renewable procurement at scale, not token projects
Allow off-site renewable development connected to the Wisconsin grid
Require data centers to pay for the upgrades they drive, generation, interconnection, transmission, and firming
That approach accomplishes everything policymakers say they want:
reliability
competitiveness
long-term price stability
grid modernization
and no cost shift to ratepayers
And it does it without forcing Wisconsin into a wave of fossil buildout. Wisconsin gets one shot at this data center expansion will reshape our grid for the next generation. The decisions we make now will determine whether Wisconsin becomes:
a national model for modern, resilient power growth, or
a cautionary tale of rushing headfirst into natural gas dependence
AB 840’s on-site renewable mandate is not a guardrail. It’s a trap. If we want energy security and grid reliability, renewable energy provisions must be strong—and they must be real. That means allowing off-site renewables and requiring data centers to add new clean power to the grid at scale.
Wisconsin can welcome economic growth. But we should not do it by writing fossil dependence into law.
Banners from the group Save the Portage County Health Care Center. The group opposes which opposes the privatization of the county facility. (Photo courtesy of Karlene Ferrante)
As counties across Wisconsin sell off publicly-owned nursing homes to private companies, communities worry that privatization will bring understaffing, declining quality of care, and more regulatory violations, driving many residents to fight back.
After Karlene Ferrante broke her femur, she underwent major surgery and was transferred to a skilled nursing facility to recover. She spent a little over two months at the county-owned Portage County Health Care Center in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
“I lucked out and got sent to the Portage County Healthcare Center. They took wonderful care of me for that whole summer and until I was able to go home,” Ferrante said. “Because of that great care that I got, I am able to walk. I have my leg. I didn’t get an infection and I didn’t fall. They were adequately staffed and they provided really good care.”
There are only two skilled nursing facilities in Stevens Point. The publicly-owned Portage County Health Care Center, which has served the community for nearly a century and has a five-star rating from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the privately-owned Stevens Points Health Services, which has a one-star rating from CMS. Ferrante was relieved to get into the county-owned facility, but the relief faded when she returned home and learned that the county was considering selling Portage County Health Care Center to a private company.
“When I found out that they were trying to privatize it, I decided then that I’m going to work on this,” Ferrante said. “I’m not going to let that happen, because other people should be able to get the same kind of care that I got.”
Across Wisconsin, County Boards have been voting to sell their skilled nursing facilities as local communities fight the sales, especially in rural counties. In Portage County, retired professor Ferrante, a two-time patient at the Portage County Health Care Center, has joined the Save the Portage County Health Care Center group, which opposes the privatization of the county facility.
“We are the only five-star skilled nursing facility in Portage County,” said Nancy Roppe, a lifelong resident of Portage County and one of the group’s organizers. “The quality of care is stellar… people clamor to get their care here, because they know when they press the call button, somebody will respond.”
In 2018, Portage County residents approved a four-year, $5.6 million referendum to support the facility’s operations. Then, in 2022, they passed another measure authorizing tax increases to fund the construction of a new facility.
Roppe said the referendums signaled public strong support for Portage County Health Care Center, but Portage County is trying to sell the health care center to The Ensign Group, a private company which has purchased other nursing facilities in the state.
A billboard in Portage County. (Photo courtesy of Nancy Roppe)
In Lincoln County, Wisconsin, the County Board voted over the summer to sell the county-owned Pine Crest Nursing Home, which had been serving the county for over 70 years, to Ensign. Just a few months after the transition from county to corporate ownership, members of the Lincoln County community have seen noticeable changes in the quality of care.
“We are already seeing the changes,” said Pastor Mike Southcombe, the senior pastor at St. Stephen’s United Church of Christ in Merrill, the county seat of Lincoln County. “The staffing is less than it was when the county ran it.”
Research consistently shows that publicly-owned facilities not only maintain higher staffing and care standards but also serve as essential safety nets for vulnerable populations, ensuring access to long-term care for residents who might otherwise be turned away by for-profit operators.
A 2022 report by the Center for Medicare Advocacy warned that privatizing county-owned nursing homes often led to lower staffing levels and diminished quality of care, as for-profit operators prioritized revenue over residents’ needs. The report found that promised cost savings rarely materialized, while accountability and public oversight were significantly reduced.
An academic study also found that privatizing county-owned nursing homes increased regulatory violations and reduced residents’ quality of care and quality of life, while failing to improve access for Medicaid recipients.
Working Class Storytelling reported that during a February town hall in Lincoln County, data presented by LeadingAge Wisconsin indicated that publicly-owned nursing homes in the state provide higher-quality care than private or nonprofit facilities.
While some Lincoln County officials said that the county did not have adequate funding to continue the operation of Pine Crest, Eileen Guthrie, a retired accountant who lives in Lincoln County and regularly volunteered at Pine Crest, crunched the numbers and found that Pine Crest was bringing in a profit.
“I started looking at all of the public records, whether they were from the finance committee or the county board, or online… I kept digging and digging,” said Guthrie, who was an active member with People for Pine Crest. When she looked through all the 2023 and 2024 financial statements, she found that Pine Crest had a positive balance upwards of $400,000 in 2023 and a positive balance above $550,000 in 2024. Guthrie said part of this positive balance was due to the state’s Medicaid reimbursement policies.
People for Pine Crest hosted community town halls. (Photo courtesy of Eileen Guthrie)
Lincoln County officials said the sale of Pine Crest would help relieve the county’s deficit, though they did not clarify what expenses were driving that deficit.
“I know not everybody’s happy about it. I understand that all of us, most of us, have people in Pine Crest, and I understand that, but I’m comfortable with Ensign, that they’ll be here and they’re going to serve the community properly,” said County Supervisor Greg Hartwig at a July County Board meeting, according to WXPR.
As the county pushed forward with the sale, many residents felt their voices were ignored. Among them was Scott Doerr, a Lincoln County resident who had worked in local factories for more than 30 years before retiring. Frustrated by the way local officials handled the Pine Crest sale, he filed paperwork to run for County Board Supervisor.
“I just felt that the county board wasn’t listening to the citizens,” Doerr said. “I’m probably going to be campaigning on giving the voice back to the people.”
The sale has raised deeper concerns about the future of the facility.
“Being county-owned was a comfort and now we have to wonder, year to year, if they’re going to sell it for profit and make things worse instead of better.” Doerr said.
That concern about the future of nursing care is shared by others who see the facility as more than just a business, but as a vital community resource.
“People have been paying taxes on [Pine Crest], volunteering at it, supporting it, all those years, with the expectation that it would be around for them when they needed it, or be around for family members when they needed it,” Southcombe said. “The population up here, as it is everywhere, is aging. The elementary schools are shrinking. The need for nursing homes in home care and just general health services is just going to increase. And we’re also going to need people to work at those places.”
People for Pine Crest at the Christmas Parade in Lincoln County. (Photo courtesy of Eileen Guthrie)
For Guthrie, the sale of Pine Crest is not necessarily the end of the fight for better community services.
“The loss was significant, but there is a win in there,” Guthrie said. “All of these people worked together for the good of the community, for the good of the employees and the residents. And maybe that’ll be enough to say, okay, yeah, we lost, but there are other things that we can do, so I’m hoping that there will be more to come.”
As the Save the Portage County Health Care Center group has watched other sales, like those in Lincoln County, happen, they are working to get creative about spreading the word across the county ahead of deciding votes. They have started sharing information in newspaper ads, billboards, and online videos.
“We’ve had to go and reinvent the wheel. We’ve come up with new ways to reach the public. And how does the public react when they know? They are angry,” Ferrante said. “They’re surprised. After voting twice to support the referendums and paying the taxes to have the nursing home continue and be rebuilt, people have been shocked to learn that the current administration in the county is just selling it.”
With the county’s vote looming this week, local community advocates said the stakes feel like a matter of life and death, and they aren’t slowing down.
“Where do we find the energy to fight [for Portage County Health Care Center]? For me, I feel like I owe them,” Ferrante said. “They kind of saved my life.”
Public comments are open now through December 12 for Akron Solar, a 200 Megawatt (MW) solar project. If approved, the solar project will be located in Adams and Wood Counties and is planned for completion in the latter half of 2029. Projects like this have a wide range of local and statewide benefits. Show your support for this project and tell the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) why you support the approval of a vital solar project in Wisconsin!
You can use some of the listed benefits below to help you craft your message.
Akron Solar isn’t just about the clean energy it will produce. The 200 MW facility in Adams and Wood Counties has many benefits:
Economic Growth: According to a report by Strategic Economic Research, Akron Solar will create more than 450 jobs during construction, as well as more than 14 good-paying, long-term positions in Adams and Wood Counties.
Community Benefits: Once in service, Akron Solar will contribute more than $1,000,000 in utility-aid payments each year. Over $566,000 of this will go to the counties, while the remaining $433,33 will go to the towns of Rome and Saratoga. During its 25-year life, the project will contribute a total of at least $25million in utility-aid payments.
Emissions Reductions: Akron Solar will reduce energy production emissions by 650 million pounds of CO2 in the first year of operations. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, this is the equivalent of taking more than 64,000 vehicles off the road for a full year. These emissions reductions will result in health, economic, and environmental benefits. Wisconsin can expect more than $1.4 million in economic benefits associated with public health improvements in Akron Solar’s first year of operations alone.
Submit your comments today and tell the PSC you support the approval of Akron Solar. Feel free to use some of the bullet points above to craft your own unique message.
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) approved Porchlight Solar, a 163.8 Megawatt (MW) solar project paired with a 50 MW battery in Portage County. In their verbal decision, PSC commissioners noted that the team behind the project made a good effort to work with community members on this project. The commission also noted the many positive comments that came through in support of this project, including RENEW’s. If you submitted a comment in support of this project, thank you for helping us get this project across the finish line!
Porchlight Solar is another exciting step forward as we work to meet our clean energy goals. Wisconsin has now reached a point where we have 2089 MW of solar in operation, 3738 MW approved and in the development phase, and more than 1,600 MW of solar seeking approval from the PSC. Altogether, we’re hopeful that we’ll have nearly 7,500 MW of solar online across Wisconsin in the near future. Together, we can keep this momentum going.
Porchlight Solar’s Benefits Go Beyond Clean Energy:
Economic Growth: Porchlight Solar will create between 200 to 300 jobs during construction, as well as good-paying, long-term operations and maintenance positions.
Community Benefits: Once in service, Porchlight Solar will contribute more than $800,000 in utility-aid payments each year. Over $460,000 of this will go to Portage County, $273,000 will go to the town of Buena Vista, and just over $80,000 will go to the town of Pine Grove. During its 30-year life, the project will contribute a total of $24.4 million in utility-aid payments. In other municipalities, funds like these have gone toward roads, municipal buildings, and first responder resources.
Landowner Engagement: Porchlight Solar has signed land leases with farmers who produce potatoes, corn, and soybeans, according to the application from the developer. When farmers and landowners sign 25-plus-year leases to host solar projects like Porchlight, they are able to rely on long-term, stable revenue.
Emissions Reductions: Porchlight Solar will reduce energy production emissions by 530 million pounds of CO2 in the first year of operations. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, this is the equivalent of taking more than 53,000 vehicles off the road for a full year. These emissions reductions will result in health, economic, and environmental benefits.
Public comments are open now through November 3 for Emerald Bluffs Solar Park, a 225 Megawatt (MW) solar project. If approved, the solar project will be located in Juneau County and is planned for completion in the latter half of 2027. Projects like this have a wide range of local and statewide benefits. Show your support for this project and tell the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) why you support the approval of a vital solar project in Wisconsin!
You can use some of the listed benefits below to help you craft your message. You can also review RENEW’s public comment here –RENEW Wisconsin’s Public Comment
Emerald Bluffs Solar isn’t just about the clean energy it will produce. The 225 MW facility in Juneau County has many benefits:
Economic Growth: Emerald Bluffs will create nearly 1,000 jobs during construction, as well as more than 20 good-paying, long-term operations and maintenance positions.
Community Benefits: Once in service, Emerald Bluffs will contribute more than $1,125,000 in utility-aid payments each year. Over $637,000 of this will go to Juneau County, while the remaining $487,500 will go to the towns of Lemonweir and Seven Mile Creek. During its 35-year life, the project will contribute a total of $39.375 million in utility-aid payments.
Emissions Reductions: Emerald Bluffs will reduce energy production emissions by 746 million pounds of CO2 in the first year of operations. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, this is the equivalent of taking more than 73,500 vehicles off the road for a full year. These emissions reductions will result in health, economic, and environmental benefits.
Submit your comments today and tell the PSC you support the approval of Emerald Bluffs Solar. Feel free to use some of the bullet points above to craft your own unique message.
RENEW Wisconsin is part of a coalition supporting the enactment of a community solar program. The long-awaited legislation will be introduced in the coming days to allow private developers to build and operate solar projects, creating savings for electricity customers participating in the program.
Community solar is not new — 23 states already have similar programs. In Wisconsin, public utilities have rejected any attempt to allow a non-utility to provide electricity to customers. Here, community solar is an option in limited areas – for customers who were able to sign up in a handful of utility-offered projects or those who happen to be members of an electric cooperative that offers it.
This proposed legislation aims to change that. With community solar, participants can save money on their electric bill. Many people do not have the funds to install solar panels on their roof or have land with the right sun exposure. From apartment-dwellers to non-profits to schools and small businesses, interest is growing. As is the desire of landowners and farmers to lease their land or businesses to lease their unused roof space or a parking lot for steady extra income from hosting the projects.
Significant changes have been made to prior efforts on this bill to garner more support.
Key components of the proposed legislation include:
Developers need to secure land to lease for the project, build it, and maintain it
The projects are limited to a minimum of 3 subscribers, and no subscriber can get more than 40% of the power generated
The project size must be under 5 megawatts, which equates to about 27 acres
The program is set to last 10 years, with a maximum number of projects set at 350
Customers need to sign up to participate in the program, and still get most of their electricity from the utility and pay the utility facility charges, including a $20 minimum bill requirement
Projects are required to meet the definition of dual use, such as pollinator habitat, grazing, or other agricultural development
If electrical updates are needed to accommodate projects, the developers will be required to reimburse the utility for the upgrade
The developers are responsible for making sure there are enough subscribers for the energy generated from each project
The main thing that the utility is responsible for is allowing the projects to be interconnected to the grid and making arrangements to ensure participating customers save on their energy bills thanks to the electricity generated by the community solar projects.
These projects are intentionally community-based and require community approval when approving the site for each project. The bill calls for a 2/3 approval by the local government. With any development, laws govern permitting and zoning requirements. When it comes to larger, utility-scale renewable energy development, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has oversight. For smaller-scale ones like the community solar, approval authority is in the hands of the local government. Adding options for community solar development is not choosing smaller over large-scale, but providing different opportunities and renewable energy benefits to more areas of the state.
Supporting all renewable energy development brings benefits beyond energy. These projects bring private capital to local areas, greater economic investments, and more jobs. Jobs created by these projects include building and road construction, electrical, and maintenance. There’s additional economic opportunity thanks to the dual-use requirement for these projects, which makes sure the land (in many cases, farmland) is still producing crops, grazing opportunities, or even wildlife habitat.
Constituents in every legislative district would have a chance to benefit from this bill if passed. But with utility opposition, those chances are slim. Unless those who are in support of community solar developments advocate for this bill.
Let’s be clear – a few community solar projects built over the next decade will not ruin public utilities. But having subscribers reduce their bills by a small percentage could benefit many utility customers.
Climate change is no longer a distant warning — it is here and it is reshaping our landscapes, weather patterns, and communities. Wisconsin has already begun to feel the effects, through more frequent flooding along our rivers, dangerous heat waves that strain vulnerable populations, and shifting agricultural seasons that threaten one of our state’s proudest traditions – farming. Left unchecked, climate change will accelerate these threats, driving up costs for families and businesses while destabilizing the ecosystems that sustain us.
But there is a solution within reach, and Wisconsin has the opportunity to lead: a rapid transition to renewable energy. We have the tools, we just need to be bold enough to move forward.
The Dangers We Face
Scientists are clear that continued reliance on fossil fuels is driving higher global temperatures. For Wisconsin, that translates to:
More volatile weather: Intense storms that damage infrastructure, cause power outages, and threaten public safety.
Rising health risks: Air pollution worsens respiratory illnesses, while extreme heat threatens seniors, children, and outdoor workers.
Economic disruption: Crop losses from unpredictable seasons, higher insurance premiums due to extreme weather, and costly repairs to public infrastructure.
The longer we delay addressing these dangers, the more expensive and disruptive they become. Every year of inaction compounds the risks and the cost. The good news is that the solution is affordable, efficient, and reliable.
Renewable Energy Is the Key
Wisconsin already has the tools we need to chart a safer, stronger path forward. Wind, solar, bioenergy, geothermal, and hydropower are proven, affordable, and increasingly accessible. Transitioning to renewable energy addresses climate change head-on while delivering real, local benefits:
Cleaner air and healthier communities by reducing emissions from coal and gas.
Energy independence — when we produce energy in Wisconsin, it keeps our energy dollars here at home instead of sending them out of state for fossil fuels.
Strong local economies through job creation in construction, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance — industries that can’t be outsourced.
Stable energy costs because renewable resources, unlike fossil fuels, aren’t subject to global market swings.
Every new solar array on a school, every wind turbine in a farm field, and every biogas digester on a dairy farm reduces our reliance on polluting fuels while building a more resilient local economy.
Wisconsin’s Opportunity
Our state is uniquely positioned to lead. With strong agricultural roots, an innovative workforce, and communities that value stewardship, Wisconsin can demonstrate how clean energy strengthens both economy and environment. RENEW Wisconsin is working every day to expand renewable projects across the state — partnering with businesses, schools, tribes, farmers, and local governments to accelerate the transition.
But the pace matters. To safeguard our children’s future, we must move faster. This means modernizing policies, supporting community solar, expanding access to financing, and ensuring equity so that every family can share in the benefits of clean energy.
A Call to Action
Climate change is the defining challenge of our generation. But it is also the greatest opportunity to reimagine how Wisconsin powers itself — cleaner, stronger, and more resilient. By choosing renewable energy today, we protect our communities, create thousands of good-paying jobs, and preserve the natural heritage we hold dear.
The dangers of climate change are real, but the solution is in our hands. Join RENEW Wisconsin and help us win this fight. Together, we can build a safer and more prosperous Wisconsin powered by clean, renewable energy.
Public comments are open now through August 18 for Porchlight Solar, a 163.8 Megawatt (MW) solar project paired with a 50 MW battery system. If approved, it is planned for completion in the latter half of 2028. Projects like this have a wide range of local and statewide benefits. Show your support for this project and tell the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) why you support this vital solar project!
You can use some of the listed benefits below to help you craft your message. You can also review RENEW’s public comment here –RENEW Wisconsin’s Public Comment
Porchlight Solar isn’t just about the clean energy it will produce. The 163.8 MW facility in Portage County has many benefits:
Economic Growth: Porchlight Solar will create between 200-300 jobs during construction, as well as good-paying, long-term operations and maintenance positions.
Community Benefits: Once in service, Porchlight Solar will contribute more than $800,000 in utility-aid payments each year. Over $460,000 of this will go to Portage County, $273,000 will go to the town of Buena Vista, and just over $80,000 will go to the town of Pine Grove. During its 30-year life, the project will contribute a total of $24.4 million in utility-aid payments.
Landowner Engagement: Porchlight Solar has signed land leases with farmers who produce primarily potatoes, corn, and soybeans, according to the application from the developer. When farmers and landowners sign 25-plus-year leases to host solar projects like Porchlight, they are able to rely on long-term, stable revenue.
Emissions Reductions: Porchlight Solar will reduce energy production emissions by 530 million pounds of CO2 in the first year of operations. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, this is the equivalent of taking more than 53,000 vehicles off the road for a full year. These emissions reductions will result in health, economic, and environmental benefits.
Submit your comments by August 18 to tell the PSC you support the approval of Porchlight Solar. Feel free to use some of the bullet points above to craft your own unique message.
One of the biggest happenings in the state legislature in the first half of this year is the passing of the biennial state budget. The original document, 2025 Senate Bill 45, became Wisconsin Act 15. What started at 1,916 pages was whittled down to a mere 195. Below are a few items that might be of interest to the renewable energy industry.
Nuclear Power Siting Study
The Department of Administration has allocated $500,000 from general-purpose revenue for a nuclear power siting study. This stems from a broader initiative by the legislature to evaluate the feasibility of new nuclear development and potential sites in Wisconsin. Originally, a stand-alone bill, the provision was added to the budget.
Battery Storage
Under general obligations, bonding authority was modified to include battery storage. This effort signals support for the installation and development of battery energy storage systems to enhance grid reliability, integrate renewable energy systems, and improve energy efficiency.
Electricity Sales Tax Exemption
Under prior law, Wisconsin residents did not have to pay the sales tax on electricity and natural gas during the winter months, from November to April, to ease the cost of energy. The budget bill changes this exemption to apply to all months and reduce electric bills for residential customers during the summer air-conditioning season as well. For solar installations, this change could simplify the calculation of savings and costs, as the tax would not be collected at all, rather than having different applicability during certain months.
Electric Vehicle Sales Tax
Directs the transfer of anticipated sales tax collection to the general fund. appropriation of about $28 million per year.
Intervenor Financing
The appropriation of financing for intervenors allows the continuation of third-party participation in Public Service Commission (PSC) proceedings, like utility rate cases. The legislator settled on an appropriation of $542,500 annually. The PSC compensation program provides financial assistance to organizations and individuals who choose to intervene on behalf of an affected group in proceedings before the commission. The Governor’s initial budget request aimed to increase this amount.
Energy Efficiency & Focus on Energy
This provides general support for initiatives to improve energy efficiency in state facilities. Allocates $536,300 annually for energy efficiency and renewable resource programs under the PSC.
Office of Clean Energy and Sustainability
There were cuts to the positions in certain offices, including the OSCE. This was not specifically in the passed budget bill, as it occurred in an omnibus motion during the committee process.
Integrated Resource Planning
The Governor’s original budget proposal included a provision to adopt IRP for state energy planning. This was removed during the initial sweep of non-fiscal items and policy-focused initiatives to fulfil the obligation of keeping primarily financial matters in the budget. IRP would help evaluate the ability of utilities to meet long-term electricity demand and include plans to integrate clean energy sources into their supply portfolios.
Today, the U.S. House passed a reconciliation bill eliminating key clean energy tax credits. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. This is a serious challenge for our industry, especially residential solar and small businesses.
Thanks to pressure from clean energy champions, the Senate version softened some of the most harmful provisions. It removed the proposed excise tax on wind and solar, dropped FEOC restrictions that would have penalized projects using certain foreign components, and extended eligibility for commercial and utility-scale projects that begin construction within a year of enactment through 2027. But the Section 25D tax credit is now set to expire on December 31, 2025, with residential projects losing eligibility for any expenditures made after that date. That puts real pressure on small clean energy businesses to adjust planning and project timelines.
It is disappointing to see Congress roll back what was once bipartisan common sense. Since 2005, clean energy tax credits have helped families lower energy bills, driven innovation, and supported hundreds of thousands of jobs. Reversing that support now risks slowing the momentum we have built together.
Installers will face pressure to adjust pipelines to meet an unusually short timeline. Developers may need to reassess projects they can no longer bring online before the new deadline. The result may be fewer jobs, fewer local investments, and reduced progress at a time when clean energy leadership is urgently needed.
Still, I am hopeful.
Over the past eight years, I’ve seen clean energy businesses across Wisconsin grow exponentially. I’ve watched electricians, designers, sales teams, and service professionals build lasting careers and deepen their roots in Wisconsin communities. Federal incentives helped lay the foundation, but they did not create the deep commitment we see today. That credit belongs to all of you and the lasting impact of your work across the state. I am disappointed by this decision, but my belief in this community has not wavered. This industry has weathered tariffs, shifting political winds, and policy uncertainty before and has come back stronger every time.
RENEW is ready to support you through this next chapter. We will continue to advocate for state and local policies that strengthen the business case for renewables. We will work to remove barriers to clean energy access, elevate your success stories, and help businesses adapt to the new federal landscape. Because we still believe that clean energy is the best way to build a healthy, thriving Wisconsin.
I encourage you all to take some time this weekend to rest and recharge. Next week, we’ll begin digging into the legislation and planning for the days, weeks, and years ahead.
After the shock of earlier executive orders had somewhat subsided, we were lulled by the notion that “only Congress can change the tax code,” and then, it happened. Congress began its work on a reconciliation bill, parts of which would effectively pull the rug from under the solar industry.
But we’re not letting it happen without a fight.
RENEW Wisconsin, like many other organizations, is sharing action alerts and urging members of the industry and the public to contact their members of Congress. The effort is meant to bring the harsh reality into view, so policymakers can understand that gutting the programs and repealing these tax credits immediately will have devastating effects. These effects will be felt by real people, businesses, and local energy production.
Many of our partner organizations, like the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), have organized webinars and call-ins to keep industry participants informed and involved. In-district meetings and a fly-in to D.C. have been organized to meet with elected representatives and advise them on a different course of action.
When the distressing contents of the House bill were voted on and the bill moved to the Senate, a determined group of RENEW Wisconsin members scheduled a meeting with Senator Ron Johnson’s chief of staff. I, along with Michael Cornell from Ach Solar, Ron Chester from Full Spectrum, Kurt Reinhold from Legacy Solar Co-op, and Michael Reuter from Midwest Solar Power, met with Tom Petri in the Madison district office. The main message conveyed was “don’t pull the rug” out from under our businesses, replicating the same term Senator Johnson used during a recent media interview. During that interview, Johnson indicated he did not want to hurt business.
But there was more — the specific examples relayed to Johnson’s team highlighted how the tax credit helps with the upfront cost of projects and allows nonprofits, farmers, and homeowners to take advantage of solar power and reduce their energy bills. We shared how manufacturing has just started to ramp up and has begun producing materials in the U.S. to help boost local energy production. We also explained that deploying solar is faster, cheaper, and if partnered with battery storage, incredibly reliable.
The tax incentives supporting the industry were not expected to last forever, but the abrupt end to them will impact projects, eliminate prior investment, cut jobs, and delay future development. This affects homeowners, developers, installers, manufacturers, and much more.
While we await final action by the Senate, followed by some form of compromise with the House, we’re tracking developments and urging people to advocate for the industry.
There is a way to phase out the credits, with an intentional transition, without disrupting the established progress. For that, Congress needs to hear from the industry and make the needed changes.
Public comments are now open for Whitewater Solar, a 180-megawatt solar project in Jefferson and Walworth Counties. The project is seeking approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC), and your voice can make a difference. This is your chance to tell the PSC why you support expanding solar energy in Wisconsin. The public comment period is open now through July 11.
By showing your support for Whitewater Solar, you’re helping to advocate for:
Economic Growth: Whitewater Solar will create hundreds of jobs during construction as well as good-paying, long-term operations and maintenance positions. It will also produce affordable and reliable clean energy for Wisconsin residents. It is expected that this project will produce $259 million in additional economic activity in Wisconsin.
Community Benefits: Once in service, Whitewater Solar will contribute more than $900,000 in utility-aid payments each year. These payments will go to Jefferson and Walworth Counties, the City of Whitewater, and the Towns of Whitewater and LaGrange. Utility-aid payments are often used to fix roads and support local municipal services, all without creating an additional tax burden for residents.
Environmental Responsibility: Whitewater Solar has undergone thorough environmental studies to minimize impact. It will contribute to cleaner air and water and support a healthier Wisconsin. In our testimony to the PSC, we estimate that the Whitewater Solar will displace fossil fuel generation and avoid over 293,000 tons of CO2 in the first year of operations alone.
Submit your comments today and tell the PSC you support the approval of Whitewater Solar. You can use the key points listed above to help craft your own unique message.
Wisconsin’s first 100+ megawatt (MW) wind energy project in more than a decade is seeking approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC). Badger Hollow Wind has been in development for nearly 10 years, and if approved, it would mark a major step forward in Wisconsin’s energy future. The PSC is accepting public comments on this project now through June 26.
This is your chance to tell the PSC why you support the approval of more wind energy in Wisconsin! Badger Hollow Wind isn’t just about the energy it will produce. The 118 MW facility in Iowa and Grant Counties has many benefits:
Economic Growth: Badger Hollow Wind will create hundreds of jobs during construction as well as good-paying, long-term operations and maintenance positions. It will also produce affordable and reliable clean energy for Wisconsin residents. It is expected that this project will produce $3.2 million in additional economic activity in Wisconsin.
Community Benefits: The Badger Hollow Wind developer, Invenergy, has been a good community partner, supporting student programs at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and schools in Iowa and Grant Counties. They’ve also donated to local emergency services and food banks, and more. Once in service, Badger Hollow Wind will contribute more than $500,000 in utility-aid payments each year. Over $300,000 of this will go to Grant and Iowa Counties, and over $200,000 of this will go to the towns of Clifton, Eden, Linden, Mifflin, and Wingville.
Landowner Engagement: Invenergy is a good partner to landowners, respecting their property rights and regularly checking in with them to ensure their relationships are positive. Payments to landowners help farmers directly, but Invenergy goes the extra mile by building access roads to turbines that farmers can use for their operations.
Environmental Responsibility: Badger Hollow Wind has undergone thorough environmental studies to minimize impact. It will contribute to cleaner air and water and support a healthier Wisconsin. RENEW’s witness estimated that the Badger Hollow Wind will displace fossil fuel generation and avoid over 250,000 tons of CO2 in the first year of operations alone.
Submit your comments today and tell the PSC you support the approval of Badger Hollow Wind. Feel free to use some of the bullet points above to craft your own unique message.
Earlier this week, the House of Representatives passed its version of H.R. 1, the reconciliation package, by a slim majority. The bill now moves to the Senate, where we have another opportunity to advocate for and protect clean energy.
Solar and storage are an American success story, supporting thousands of good jobs, millions in energy savings, and a surging manufacturing sector. However, Congress is considering cutting policies that support this success, threatening billions invested in our communities. This includes harsh restrictions on tax credits while gutting others, or quickly phasing them out.
As it stands, the legislation before Congress falls short of the policies necessary to help the U.S. meet its growing energy demand, create jobs, and continue the successful build-out of the solar and storage supply chain here in the U.S.
We invite you to join us in this effort and urge Congress to defend American energy incentives and protect the economic engine that clean energy has created. In the last two years, American solar and storage have surged. In that time, American-made solar module manufacturing has grown six times.
Solar installations can now provide enough homegrown energy to power more than 40 million homes. This expanding industry also means jobs that pay people well. The solar and storage industry already supports over 280,000 good jobs, many of them right here in Wisconsin.
We already know that solar energy is affordable, abundant, and easy to deploy. So, as America works to meet the rising energy demands of AI, data centers, and advanced manufacturing, clean energy and energy storage are critical to keeping energy bills in check and maintaining our economic competitiveness.
This is a critical moment, and we cannot afford to slow our progress now. We need to double down on clean energy for our economy, our communities, and our children.
Tell your representative to protect American solar and energy storage!
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