Renewable Energy Developers Step Up Game in Wisconsin

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Developed by ALLETTE Incorporated (NYSE:ALE) (Duluth, Minnesota) and sold to Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPS) (Green Bay, Wisconsin), which has a 90% stake in the project, and Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) (Madison, Wisconsin), which holds the remaining 10%, the Red Barn Wind Park in Grant County, Wisconsin, came online earlier this month. The project is one of many renewable energy developments in Wisconsin, where Industrial Info is tracking more than $6 billion worth of active wind and solar power projects.

Construction on the Red Barn windfarm kicked off last summer. The facility features 28 turbines rated between 2.5 and 3.4 megawatts (MW) to achieve a nameplate generating capacity of 92 MW. The windfarm will help WPS and MGE reach their emissions-reduction goals. WPS plans to make its electric fleet carbon-neutral by 2050, while MGE hopes to achieve net-zero-carbon electricity by 2050. "The Red Barn Wind Park is a project that can really play an important role (and) can really help us achieve those carbon-emissions goals," Matt Cullen, a spokesperson for WPS, told local news media.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can click here for more information on the project.

But the Red Barn Wind Park is by no means the only renewable energy project in Wisconsin. Industrial Info is tracking more than 30 such projects in the state, and while wind plays a role, the sector is dominated by solar power.

Last week, the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin gave the green light to National Grid plc (NYSE:NGG) (London, England) to begin construction of a solar farm in Portage County. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project reports for the solar farm and the accompanying battery energy storage system (BESS) and April 13, 2023, news article - National Grid Receives Go-Ahead to Construct Wisconsin Solar Farm.

Other solar projects in the state include Invenergy's (Chicago, Illinois) solar farm in Darien, construction of which is set to kick off soon. The facility will feature more than 454,000 ground-mounted solar panels to provide a nameplate generating capacity of 250 MW. The project is expected to be completed in late 2024. Subscribers can click here for the full report.

Invenergy is at work on another solar farm near Paris, Wisconsin, about 30 miles south of Milwaukee. The facility will use approximately 700,000 Jinko solar panels on a single-axis tracking system to provide 200 MW of power. Construction on the project kicked off in 2021, and engineering, procurement and construction contractor Blattner Energy Incorporated (Avon, Minnesota) is expected to wrap up the project next month. Subscribers can learn more by viewing the project report.

Another regional player, Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:LNT) (Madison, Wisconsin) is at work on a solar farm in Grant County that will use approximately 750,000 bifacial solar modules on a single-axis tracking system to provide 200 MW of power. Construction is expected to wrap up later this year. Subscribers can click here for the full report.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to see the reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).