On Thursday, May 21, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) approved the Fox Solar Project. At 100 Megawatts (MW), this solar project will produce enough clean energy to power about 25,000 homes. The project is paired with a 50 MW battery energy storage system, providing the flexibility to provide power when the sun goes down.
Located in Oconto County, it is planned for completion in 2028. Projects like this have a wide range of local and statewide benefits, including economic growth, new funding for local municipalities, and reduced emissions from energy production.
Witness testimony from David Loomis of Strategic Economic Research stated that this project will create 300 temporary jobs during construction, along with an additional 20 long-term jobs related to the project’s economic activity.
Along with jobs, the project will support the surrounding communities through utility-aid payments. Over the 25-year life of the project, it is expected to contribute more than $13 million in utility aid payments to Oconto County and the Town of Morgan. Recent legislation has changed utility-aid payments to also include battery installations, which has increased the previous estimate on payments for local governments.
Beyond the economic aspects of this project, it also provides an additional source of clean, reliable energy that isn’t subject to volatile fuel prices. With this project we’re removing 304 million pounds of CO2 related to energy production in the first year of operations, and that’s just the CO2 emissions.
The amount of emissions reductions we’ll see from the project is about the same as taking almost 30,000 cars off the road. Avoided emissions, whether from energy production or our cars, means healthier air for everyone. We estimate that in Fox Solar’s first year of energy production, we’ll see $690,000 in economic benefits associated with the public health improvements we expect to see
Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their support of Fox Solar with the PSC!
On Thursday, May 14, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin approved Muddy Creek Solar, a 322 Megawatt (MW) solar project paired with a 300 MW battery energy storage system. Developed by Geronimo Power, the project is expected to provide nearly $2 million in annual utility aid payments to local municipalities.
Geronimo Power has also shown its commitment to supporting the community that will host the project by pledging an annual $75,000 donation to local school districts. Through a Charitable Pledge Agreement, the Menomonie Area School District and the Elk Mound Area School District will receive $12,500 and $62,500, respectively, for 20 years after the project begins operations.
In addition to the direct cash benefit to local municipalities, the project is expected to create more than 800 temporary jobs during construction and more than 50 long-term jobs. Also important to consider is the direct payments to landowners who have leased their land for the life of this project.
This project shows that clean energy projects can bolster our local economies, provide our state with the energy it needs, and reduce our carbon emissions from energy generation.
In total, we expect this project to reduce emissions by 954 million pounds of CO2, the equivalent of removing 94,000 gas-powered vehicles from our roads. And that’s just the CO2.
Thanks to the reduction of CO2 and the several other greenhouse gases that fossil fuels would pump into the air we breathe, 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.
This solar and battery project will provide many things Wisconsin needs—jobs, reliable energy, consistent income for landowners, more funding for our schools and local governments, and cleaner air. And when the project reaches the end of its life, the land can be returned to its prior use, whether that be agricultural, recreational, or some other purpose.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their support for this much-needed energy project. Together, we can transform how Wisconsin is powered.
On April 23, 2026, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) unanimously approved the Village of Waunakee’s application to establish a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) demand response program, administered by WPPI Energy on behalf of its member utilities. The decision is a win for Wisconsin customers and a meaningful step forward for demand response across the state’s municipal utility sector.
RENEW Wisconsin submitted public comments in support of the application, and we are excited to see the program move forward.
What the Program Does
The BYOD program allows residential and general service customers to voluntarily enroll their own smart thermostats and receive a one-time enrollment credit of $25 and an annual participation incentive of $25. During summer peak events, WPPI’s platform provider, EnergyHub, will remotely adjust thermostat settings to reduce air conditioning load.
What the PSC Decided
The commission approved the program as a permanent offering rather than a pilot, a distinction that Commissioner Kristy Nieto walked through carefully during the hearing. The logic is straightforward: this program design is not new. MG&E and We Energies have already been running nearly identical programs successfully in Wisconsin, and putting every new adopter of a proven model through a pilot phase does not serve any particular purpose. RENEW made this same point in our comments, and we are glad the commission agreed.
The PSC also added reporting requirements to track program performance and cost-benefit outcomes, and delegated authority to the Division Administrator to approve future identical applications from other WPPI members without requiring full commission review each time.
A Win for Bill Credits
One of the more substantive conversations at the hearing centered on how customers receive their participation incentives. The application proposed offering either a gift card or a bill credit, with the utility choosing at the start of each season.
In our comments, RENEW made the case for bill credits on two levels: the payment format and its recurrence over time.
On format, RENEW offered that a credit on a customer’s utility bill makes the connection between their participation and their energy costs visible in a way a gift card does not. When someone opens their bill and sees a line item tied to a demand response event, it reinforces what the program is doing and what they contributed. A gift card can feel entirely disconnected from the energy of the relationship.
On structure, RENEW recommended that WPPI look beyond the current flat annual payment toward a continuous monthly bill credit as the program matures. A one-time $25 credit is easy to forget by the time the season ends. A credit that shows up month after month keeps the connection alive and creates a natural incentive to stay enrolled on the days the program needs participants most. We are already seeing this approach work: both We Energies’ EV program and Alliant Energy’s demand response program have monthly bill-credit structures that generate strong interest precisely because customers can see and track what they receive.
RENEW also raised a longer-term question about whether a flat $25 annual payment actually reflects what customers are contributing. If a customer reduces their energy use on the hottest, most stressful days of the year when the grid needs it most, that contribution has real value, and the incentive structure should eventually reflect that. Alliant Energy’s residential demand response program offers a useful model. Instead of a flat annual payment, customers earn a credit for every kilowatt-hour they reduce during a peak event, and they receive a follow-up email showing exactly how much they cut and how much they earned. That kind of structure, where your credit reflects what you actually contributed rather than just the fact that you enrolled, is where RENEW would like to see programs like this head over time.
That argument resonated with the commission. Commissioner Hawkins specifically cited RENEW’s comments, noting that the visible connection between a customer’s actions and their bill is what makes a program like this meaningful. The commission required bill credits as the default, with a narrow exception if a utility can demonstrate they are not technically feasible, with a requirement to notify the commission in that event.
The approved incentive structure maintains the current $25 annual payment for now, which RENEW understands to be a practical starting point for a program that is new to WPPI and its members. The bigger takeaway is that the commission is aligned on the principle that customers should be able to see the value of their participation directly on their bill.
Step One of Something Larger
RENEW is enthusiastic about this program, however, it is not the ceiling of what is possible. EnergyHub’s platform already supports thermostats, batteries, electric vehicles, and commercial and industrial loads within a single system. WPPI is starting this pilot with a vendor that is already built for where demand response is heading.
In our comments, we encouraged WPPI to treat this program as the foundation for something more ambitious over time: virtual power plant-style programs that aggregate distributed energy resources across a broader customer base, bill credits tied to actual measured demand reduction rather than flat annual payments, and eventually vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-load participation as EV adoption grows in Wisconsin.
Wisconsin has significant untapped demand response potential, and this program is a real step toward unlocking it. We look forward to seeing what WPPI and its member utilities build from here.
As power-hungry data centers proliferate, states are searching for ways to protect utility customers from the steep costs of upgrading the electrical grid, trying instead to shift the cost to AI-driven tech companies. (Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor)
All three members of the Public Service Commission criticized the lack of transparency from Meta and Alliant Energy during a meeting Thursday in which the body approved a contract for the social media giant to obtain power for its planned data center in Beaver Dam.
Meta is in the process of spending more than $1 billion to construct a hyperscale data center campus that, when completed, would use six to eight times more power than the city of Beaver Dam’s current energy load.
Like similar massive data center projects across the state, Meta’s Beaver Dam project has drawn opposition from local residents. For months, the project was shrouded in secrecy with Meta operating under the name Degas LLC. Opponents have complained about the lack of openness, the massive use of energy and the impact the construction and operation of the center could have on the community.
PSC Chair Summer Strand said in her opening remarks she didn’t understand “why it needed to be this difficult” to achieve a transparent process.
“To me, transparency is not a cliche, feel good, bare minimum, check the box concept,” Strand said. “If there’s one takeaway from our discussion and decisions today I want it to be clear that, whether you’re a large load customer coming into Wisconsin for the first time, or regulated entity familiar with our process, transparency — and by that I mean actual and real transparency — is the foundational expectation and a necessity.”
Commissioner Kristy Nieto said in her opening remarks Thursday morning that the case is one of the “most consequential” decisions the PSC has seen.
“It bears repeating, existing Wisconsin customers should not pay a single cent to subsidize the service of data centers, not now and not decades from now,” Nieto said. “This means these very large customers must bear the full cost of the infrastructure required to serve them — generation, transmission and distribution — and that those costs must be fully and transparently assigned.”
The three members of the commission lamented the redactions that had initially been made to the documents submitted in the case — which were later removed after objections from outside parties including members of the public, Clean Wisconsin and the Citizens Utility Board.
The commissioners also decided that moving forward, hyperscale data centers constructed within Alliant’s territory must pay for and receive energy through a standardized tariff, rather than a one-off contract negotiated without public scrutiny. Late last month, the PSC made a similar ruling for large customers in WE Energies territory.
Under the PSC order, Alliant will have to develop a tariff that applies for any data centers using more than 100 megawatts of energy. The Meta campus is expected to use 220 megawatts.
“This is not going to be the last data center contract we see from this utility, and I will say Alliant needs standard guidelines and rules for its data center customers,” Nieto said. “A clear public tariff would create consistent, transparent rates and rules for future data centers, instead of handling each one through separate, confidential negotiations.”
While Alliant was ordered to develop a tariff rate for large customers, the PSC on Thursday approved the contract negotiated between Meta and Alliant with some modifications meant to insulate regular customers from bearing the costs of Meta’s energy use and any related infrastructure upgrades by Alliant. Nieto said denying the agreement while the tariff rate is developed would have allowed Meta to operate for up to a year without any guardrails, an outcome she said didn’t think would benefit anyone.
Brett Korte, a staff attorney with Clean Wisconsin, said the PSC putting a halt to the development of a case-by-case patchwork of data center energy deals in Alliant’s territory — which covers parts of more than a dozen Wisconsin counties — will protect Wisconsinites.
“Tariffs create a consistent, transparent framework that helps protect the public interest,” Korte said in a statement. “Without them, Wisconsin risks a patchwork system where costs and responsibilities are unclear and potentially shifted onto other utility customers.”
After the meeting, consumer advocacy and environmental groups were complimentary of the PSC’s actions.
“Today, the Public Service Commission highlighted the importance of transparency and oversight: accountability is a must, and it cannot be bypassed,” Britnie Remer, organizing director of climate advocacy group 350 Wisconsin. “The Commission also recognized that protecting Wisconsinites from subsidizing billion-dollar data centers needs to be front and center when it comes to these massive projects. With more data center proposals inevitable, requiring tariff filings in the future will ensure large energy customers pay for their costs, not our families and small businesses.”
On Thursday, May 7, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) approved Alliant Energy’s contract with Meta regarding their data center in Beaver Dam, but not before criticizing their lack of transparency and significantly modifying the contract. Modifications included safeguards requiring the utility to cover transmission costs and to address the potential for underpayments from the data center.
The PSC was clear today in its decision regarding Alliant Energy’s contract with Meta—Wisconsin utilities must be more transparent about their relationships with data centers and ensure that not a single cent of the costs of powering data centers is passed on to Wisconsin families and small businesses.
“I want it to be clear that whether you’re a large load customer coming in to Wisconsin for the first time or a regulated entity familiar with our process, transparency, and by that I mean actual and real transparency, is a foundational expectation and a necessity,” Commissioner Summer Strand said. “Frankly, transparency is quite often mutually beneficial, and I don’t think it needs to be this difficult, so I was a little disappointed, and initially, it was like pulling teeth here to increase the transparency.”
We are encouraged by the PSC signaling that they want utilities not only to place greater emphasis on transparency, but also to have a Very Large Customer tariff that is the same for each data center in their territory. This makes it easier to ensure that each data center pays the same and that all of them pay their own way in Wisconsin.
Though we would have preferred a rejection of this contract today, there was a clear win. As it should be, the PSC is ensuring it is easy for us to verify that data centers are paying for their own energy and infrastructure.
We also encouraged the PSC to be proactive in urging data centers to invest in clean energy technology, especially emerging or cutting-edge technologies. These new neighbors have the resources to spur growth in the world of renewables, and if they intend to be responsible neighbors, they will help us expand our renewable energy footprint rather than stall our progress in combating climate change.
Jute Lake in Wisconsin's Northern Highland-American Legion National Forest. The children who brought the lawsuit argued they were being deprived of their constitutional right to enjoy Wisconsin's natural areas. (Henry Redman | Wisconsin Examiner)
A Dane County judge dismissed a lawsuit from 15 Wisconsin children who had challenged laws they argued made climate change worse and violated their constitutional rights.
The lawsuit was filed in August by the groups Our Children’s Trust and Midwest Environmental Advocates against the state Public Service Commission and Legislature.
The suit argued that state lawmakers have made a number of declarations that the state’s energy production should be decarbonized and the greenhouse gas emissions of that production should be reduced, but state laws prevent that from happening.
The state’s law for siting power plants requires that the state Public Service Commission determine that “[t]he proposed facility will not have undue adverse impact on other environmental values such as, but not limited to, ecological balance, public health and welfare, historic sites, geological formations, the aesthetics of land and water and recreational use.” However the law also prohibits the PSC from considering air pollution, including from greenhouse gas emissions, in that determination.
Additionally, the state set a goal in 2005 that 10% of Wisconsin’s energy come from renewable sources by 2015. That goal was met in 2013. However, now that the goal has been met, state law treats it as a ceiling on renewable energy the PSC can require.
In a decision issued last week, Judge Julie Genovese said she’s sympathetic to the children’s argument but that the lawsuit was asking her to weigh in on a fundamentally political, not legal, question.
“While the court is sympathetic to the youths and admires their willingness to access the courts in their quest to protect the planet, I conclude that the case must be dismissed because environmental policy is a nonjusticiable political question,” she wrote.
Attorneys for the Legislature had also argued that the children didn’t have standing to bring the case, pointing to a federal court decision in a similar case in California.
But in other states similar cases have had more success. A group of Montana children successfully sued to protect their right to a clean environment in 2024.
Tony Wilkin Gibart, MEA’s executive director, told Wisconsin Public Radio he believes there’s a strong case for the ruling to be appealed.
“Youth plaintiffs are frustrated,” he said. “They’re also incredibly determined and have expressed a lot of resolve to continue this fight.”
Last Friday, April 24, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) unanimously approved an electricity rate plan for data centers and other “Very Large Customers” (VLC) in We Energies’ service territory. This decision will protect Wisconsinites from shouldering the financial burden of the energy and infrastructure costs associated with data centers.
RENEW Wisconsin submitted comments in support of this decision to protect Wisconsin ratepayers. We also asked the PSC to include considerations such as energy efficiency and renewable energy in their decision-making process. Meaning these corporations with massive financial means should, at the very least, be investing in building and operational efficiency, while also signing contracts with utility-scale solar projects.
We also highlighted the importance of these large corporations sticking to their own sustainability goals and how, through their vast access to capital, they could incorporate emerging or cutting-edge renewable energy resources to mitigate their contributions to climate change.
As our Policy Director, Andrew Kell, said in his comments to the PSC, “Data centers have adequate resources to become key innovators and provide the ‘technology push’ and ‘demand pull’ required for these programs, technologies, and infrastructure to scale up and flourish.”
While we don’t have guarantees that data centers will lead the charge on innovation as it relates to renewables, we do at least have a strong indication that the PSC will continue to protect ratepayers in future proceedings related to data centers.
“The decisions we’re making here today will not be limited to this docket,” said PSC Commissioner Kristy Nieto. “They will shape future proceedings, future investments, and the trajectory of the utility system itself.”
The PSC also determined that the energy demand threshold for a VLC to qualify for this rate structure should be reduced from 500 megawatts (MW) to 100 MW, the level at which new energy generation projects typically require PSC approval. The PSC also made it mandatory for eligible VLCs to subscribe.
VLCs will also need to fund and subscribe to portions of multiple new power generation projects, or entire projects, as they will be the driver of much of the state’s new energy demand.
We are still waiting for the final written order for this decision, but we are glad that PSC’s preliminary decisions align with what many public comments submitted stated, which is that data centers must pay the full costs of the energy and infrastructure they require.
As data center development progresses, RENEW aims to collaborate with data centers and strongly encourage them to drive and fully pay for cutting-edge clean energy resources. If data centers do in fact strive to incorporate into communities, they should help to ensure that we can create a sustainable, zero-carbon future.
Earlier this year, Alliant Energy, Xcel Energy, and Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) filed applications for electric rate increases with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC). The rate applications included other changes to utility programs and options like electric vehicle programs, language modifications to rooftop solar programs, changes to Time-of-Use (TOU) programs, and more. The changes proposed by utilities for clean energy programs caused RENEW to request and receive party status to participate in these three rate cases.
RENEW and all other parties to these cases were involved in negotiations with Alliant and MGE. Separately, both utilities were able to reach settlement agreements with all parties in their cases, and subsequently Alliant and MGE asked the PSC to approve the settlements. The settlements, as negotiated by all parties in these cases, would reduce the size of the rate hikes, improve support for customer programs, and improve access to clean energy options.
On November 6, 2025, the three Commissioners at the PSC verbally took up the proposed Alliant rate case settlement, and authorized the full agreement with no modifications. A decision on the MGE case is expected later this November.
RENEW and other parties who regularly intervene in these cases often take the opportunity to discuss contested issues with utility representatives, and work towards compromise where possible. The PSC has a long history of approving most utility proposals, so these settlement opportunities are essential for organizations, like RENEW, to have a seat at the table and directly influence the decision-making process. For RENEW, these opportunities allow us to prioritize policy issues, create new customer options, collaborate on future changes, and have a hand in final design of utility-proposed modifications to ensure clean energy options will remain technically and economically viable.
Alliant Settlement Points
Compromise on the Increase to residential customer charges:
Alliant agreed to reduce the increase to residential customer charges as it originally proposed. Alliant originally proposed increases from $15 to $20 in 2026. The settlement reduces the proposed increase, which will increase the customer charge to $16 in 2026 and to $17 in 2027.
Collaboration on Electric Vehicle (EV) Programs:
After removing some options for residential EV programs, Alliant agreed to have at least six meetings over the course of 2026 and 2027, with RENEW and interested parties, to discuss the implementation of an EV Program. The objective of these meetings will be to review program participation and performance, and EV program interaction with other Alliant programs, such as the Time of Use (TOU) and residential Distributed Resource (DR) programs.
EV Residential Program:Alliant Energy will launch a new residential EV program offering a $500 rebate for Level 2 chargers purchased through its online marketplace. Per the settlement agreement, RENEW can collaborate with Alliant to add additional charger models commonly used by installers if they are not currently listed.
EV Fleet Program:Alliant will also launch a fleet advisory program with 20 participating businesses and nonprofits. The program helps organizations assess whether transitioning their fleets to electric vehicles makes financial sense and provides guidance on next steps toward electrification.
Collaboration on TOU Outreach Initiative:
Alliant agreed to draft a Time of Use (TOU) branding, marketing, and outreach plan by March 15, 2026, and meet with RENEW and interested parties at least twice during 2026 to consider plan revisions and implementation details.
As part of its broader branding, marketing, and outreach plan, Alliant agreed to consider rewards, incentives, or other ways to incentivize those who join the TOU program efforts alongside its new residential Demand Response (DR) program (see details below).
Alliant agreed to improve the quality of residential data access, including quick integration into Alliant online tools for residential customers, with spreadsheet downloads that will easily integrate into customer analytical tools. Improved online tools and residential customer options will be available by June 1, 2026.
Alliant agreed to have at least two meetings with RENEW and interested parties during 2026 related to improving Alliant’s online platform that supports TOU customers.
Collaboration on Residential DR Program:
To support its new program, Alliant agrees to draft a residential DR program branding, marketing, and outreach plan by March 15, 2026, and meet with RENEW and interested parties at least twice during 2026 to consider revisions and implementation details.
Beyond PSC reporting, Alliant agreed to provide event reporting on its website, with details on when events are called and customer savings that occurred due to Alliant’s DR program.
Collaboration on PSC 119 Interconnection Issues:
Alliant agrees to joint meetings with RENEW and solar installer members at least twice in 2025, along with an additional two meetings in 2026. The purpose of these meetings will be to identify issues that are adding costs and time to solar interconnections in Alliant’s Wisconsin territory, discuss compromises and potential solutions, and discuss agreements that resolve these issues.
On December 1, 2025, new rules from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) will take effect, modernizing how electricity is metered in multifamily housing and mobile home parks. This update represents a major win for clean energy and affordable housing advocates as well as for developers across the state.
RENEW Wisconsin, Clean Wisconsin, Elevate, Dane County, the City of Madison, the Wisconsin Local Government Climate Coalition, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and many other advocates and developers submitted comments supporting the change. Together, these groups urged the PSC to update outdated language to make it easier to design affordable, energy-efficient, and renewable-ready multi-family housing.
The rule, originally adopted in 1980 to comply with the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) of 1978, had not been substantially revised since 2002. It was intended to promote energy conservation by requiring every dwelling in a multi-unit building or mobile home park to have its own electric meter. While well-intentioned, the rule eventually outgrew the technology of its time. It began to restrict new energy-saving methods such as shared solar, geothermal heating, and high-efficiency heat pumps.
The updated PSC 113.0803 rule now establishes clear standards for when individual meters are not required. Multifamily or mobile home park projects can qualify if:
High-efficiency equipment: Tenant-controlled systems meet Focus on Energy or federal efficiency standards, and projected energy use per unit is less than half the statewide average, factoring in onsite renewables.
High-efficiency design: Newly constructed buildings meeting advanced performance standards through programs like Focus on Energy automatically qualify.
Affordable housing participation: Buildings under contract with local, state, or federal affordable housing programs are eligible.
This rule change will open new opportunities for solar, geothermal, and other clean energy technologies, reduce administrative delays, support affordable housing, and expand Wisconsin’s pathway toward clean economic growth. This change opens up new avenues in our all-of-the-above approach to deploying renewables and ensures everyone in the state can benefit from clean, reliable energy.
On Thursday, October 30, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) authorized two important transmission projects. These projects are part of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator’s Long Term Transmission Planning (MISO LRTP) processes. They will be jointly owned and operated by Xcel Energy and American Transmission Company (ATC).
The Western Wisconsin Transmission Connection Project (Western Wisconsin Project) will run through the Eau Claire region, connecting Trempealeau County to Clark County. This transmission project will connect with the separate Grid Forward Central Wisconsin Project (Central Wisconsin Project), which will run from the central part of the state to Columbia County. These two projects are a necessary part of the state’s effort to expand renewable energy production in Wisconsin and the broader Midwest region. Updated and new transmission lines support the modernization and decarbonization of the resources that produce energy for Wisconsin’s homes and businesses.
RENEW participated in the legal proceedings for these transmission projects, in which the PSC considered the applications and found that these projects were in the public’s best interest. RENEW’s expert testimony detailed the need for both the Western and Central Wisconsin Projects from the perspective of renewable energy integration and economic development.
According to Xcel Energy, the Western Wisconsin Project alone will “support the full interconnection of over 43,000 megawatts (MWs) of potential new renewable generation in the upper Midwest.”
According to the Wisconsin Zero Carbon Study, Wisconsin will need to rely on an interconnected grid that works with those of neighboring states such as Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois to integrate renewable energy resources and decarbonize the grid. These two transmission projects will interconnect with another transmission project proposed by Dairyland Power Cooperative, which will be taken up by the PSC later this year. All three of these transmission projects will eventually interconnect with lines in Minnesota. As a result, these projects represent major building blocks for the transmission corridors modeled in the Wisconsin Zero Carbon Study.
As stated by RENEW Policy Director Andrew Kell in his testimony, utility-scale renewable resources will utilize these transmission projects “to support their interconnection and delivery of power to Wisconsin’s homes and businesses. The proposed transmission [projects are key examples] of infrastructure needed for Wisconsin’s clean energy economy.”
RENEW applauds the PSC for authorizing these projects, and we look forward to the many solar, wind, and clean energy storage projects that will be able to deliver clean, reliable energy once these transmission projects are completed.
On Thursday, September 25, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) approved two utility-scale clean energy projects. Collectively, Badger Hollow Wind (Iowa and Grant Counties) and Whitewater Solar (Jefferson and Walworth Counties) add up to 298 Megawatts (MW) of clean energy!
Badger Hollow Wind
Starting with Badger Hollow Wind—the first 100+ MW project in more than a decade at 118 MW—is a major step forward in Wisconsin’s clean energy future. To meet our net-zero goals, we need to install about 21 Gigawatts of wind energy by 2050.
In taking up the Badger Hollow Wind application, the PSC addressed several issues. In their decision, they considered the requirements of Wisconsin’s wind siting rules and determined that the wind project is in full compliance with sound, shadow flicker, decommissioning, and more.
The PSC also noted public confusion about primary and alternative turbine sites, which are a required part of the process, and limited the wind project to no more than 19 wind turbine sites for the purposes of public clarity. They also applauded the use of an Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS) to reduce blinking lights at night. While the Federal Aviation Administration requires blinking lights to avoid aviation incidents, ADLS will greatly reduce the frequency of blinking, and this will mark the first use of this new technology in Wisconsin!
Expanding the state’s portfolio of wind energy is essential to ensuring we have reliable, clean energy round-the-clock, but that’s not all the project will accomplish. In the testimony RENEW filed with the PSC to support this project, we highlighted several local and statewide benefits.
Benefits of Badger Hollow Wind:
Economic Growth: Badger Hollow Wind will create hundreds of jobs during construction, as well as good-paying, long-term operations and maintenance positions. The project is expected to produce $3.2 million in additional economic activity in Wisconsin.
Community Benefits: 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 has been 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 intends to go the extra mile by building access roads to turbines that farmers can use for their operations.
Whitewater Solar
Whitewater Solar, unlike Badger Hollow Wind, is one of many solar projects to get approved over the last few years, but we’re excited all the same. The 180 MW project takes us another leap forward toward meeting our clean energy goals.
Just as we did with Badger Hollow Wind, RENEW filed testimony with the PSC to show how Whitewater Solar will benefit the state and the communities the project will call home.
During the open meeting, the PSC dove into proposed modifications and conditions to the solar project. Along with standard conditions, the PSC approved additional requirements that address concerns specific to the Whitewater Solar project. In particular, the PSC will require conditions related to the location used for temporary storage of construction equipment, a filing of signed Joint Development Agreements with local governments, and a landowner complaint process to make it easier for the developer to work with local residents before commencing construction.
Benefits of Whitewater Solar:
Economic Growth: Whitewater Solar will create hundreds of jobs during construction, as well as good-paying, long-term operations and maintenance positions. 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 produce additional revenue for local governments to use to fix roads and support local municipal services, all without creating an additional tax burden for residents.
Collectively, these two projects will reduce emissions by 543,000 tons of CO2 in their first year of operation, which would otherwise come from fossil fuel generators if these projects were never built. This means cleaner air and water, along with mitigating climate change. If you expand that over the lifetime of each of these projects, that would lead to millions of tons of CO2 that we don’t send into our atmosphere. These projects will also lead to reductions in particulate matter and ozone pollution, which means healthier outcomes and reduced healthcare costs for Wisconsin residents. Those who suffer from asthma or have heart conditions are particularly at risk when it comes to air pollution.
Thanks to everyone who helped get these projects across the finish line. Comments from the public, testimony from our partners, and the work on the ground in communities across the state are needed for every project. Through our collective action, we make our clean energy future a reality.
On Tuesday, August 5, it was reported that the EPA is preparing to terminate all 60 grants awarded under the $7 billion Solar for All program, threatening more than $60 million awarded to Wisconsin. An additional $62.3 million awarded to the Midwest Tribal Energy Resource Association is also under threat.
These funds are intended to reduce electricity bills for Wisconsin residents by installing solar energy in low-income and other disadvantaged communities. The Solar for All program, or PowerUp Wisconsin, is a significant opportunity for us to accelerate the clean energy transition in a way that recognizes the need for everyone to benefit from renewables.
The decision to end this program couldn’t come at a worse time. With some of the highest utility rates in the country, Wisconsin needs programs that can reduce electricity costs now more than ever. We need to invest in our communities, not leave them behind.
These investments wouldn’t just help hardworking Wisconsinites with high energy bills — they would also support and sustain hundreds, if not thousands, of good-quality jobs across the state.
Despite this setback, we are positive that the momentum of the clean energy transition cannot be stopped. The renewable energy industry is massive and continues to grow. Together, we can continue building the future we want to see. One where clean energy powers a strong, healthy, and vibrant Wisconsin.
On Thursday, July 24, 2025, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) determined how the state would move forward with its investigation into net metering, which was opened in response to net metering changes proposed by Madison Gas & Electric and Alliant Energy.
Initially, a Wisconsin Value of Solar Study (VoSS) was expected to be a part of the overall investigation. PSC Chairperson Summer Strand indicated during the July 24 open meeting that she was content with the VoSS information already provided in the docket, and that a Wisconsin-specific VoSS effort would require more effort than it was worth. Commissioners Kristy Nieto and Marcus Hawkins ultimately agreed with this path forward.
Though a Wisconsin-specific VoSS won’t be a part of the investigation going forward, the PSC still plans to investigate and gather additional data and information about the state of rooftop solar in Wisconsin to help guide policy decisions. We are encouraged by their continued interest in establishing clarity and data on solar installations in Wisconsin. RENEW also hopes that the PSC considers the quick phase-out of federal tax credits for residential rooftop solar as they review installation trends moving forward.
The commissioners made it clear that they will include a review of adoption rates, an evaluation of net metering options and rate designs, and the expected impacts of rate designs on customers in their investigation. In relation to rate design options, the commissioners were also interested in the incorporation of time-of-use rates and other customer technologies, such as batteries and smart thermostats, and innovative programs, such as behavior demand response and virtual power plant options for the future.
RENEW Wisconsin participated in the process as it related to creating the parameters for the VoSS and will continue to offer input whenever we have the opportunity. We will also inform members and supporters alike when there are opportunities for the public to participate in the process.
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