OneEnergy Renewables, a public benefit corporation, announced plans to build two utility-scale solar projects in Wisconsin. The projects will have a combined capacity of approximately 165 MW, advancing the state toward its net-zero by 2050 goal.
The two projects are financed through an asset purchase agreement with We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPS) and Madison Gas and Electric Company (MGE). The two sites, Good Oak (98 MW) and Gristmill (67 MW), will be built by OneEnergy Renewables with handover to the investors at commercial operations.
We Energies is reportedly the largest investor in renewable energy in the state of Wisconsin, most notably for its stake in the 300 MW Badger Hollow solar facility, which in 2021 was the first large-scale utility project to enter commercial operations in the state.
OneEnergy Renewables expects construction will begin in Q4 2026 and reports that the projects will be built using union labor and employ 400 to 600 workers from across the state during construction.
pv magazine USA previously featured a portfolio of a 32 MW community solar developed by OneEnergy Renewables in which Organic Valley and a group of Midwestern municipal utilities are the offtakers. With this investment, Organic Valley announced that it was on track to be powered entirely by clean energy, becoming the largest food corporation in the world at that time to accomplish the feat.
Wisconsin currently has about 2.6 GW of solar installed and ranks 18th in the nation for solar capacity (down from ninth place in 2023). It has enough solar to power nearly 443,000 homes and provides 3.4% of the state’s electricity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.