New solar facility opens in the Chippewa Valley to power three major partners

CHIPPEWA COUNTY, Wis. (WEAU) — Drive up the Town of Hallie and you will see the sun shine down on panels. The project is called the Chippewa Sun and it is set to power up the future.

“What’s unique to this project though is we have three subscribers to it,” said Brian Elwood, the regional vice president for Xcel Energy.

The subscribers include UW-Eau Claire with The Sonnentag, with electricity set be offset by 100% because of the solar panels. The Pablo Group’s Springhill Suites by Marriott will also benefit from the solar facility. The goal from the group was to have the hotel reduce impact to the environment. The City of Eau Claire will also share in that goal of sustainable energy.

“Investing in projects like these supports our local economy. What it will do is offset electricity in city buildings. Our taxes pay for city buildings,” said Emily Berge, city council president.

Xcel Energy says the solar panels will provide five megawatts of sun-generated energy. The utility company’s goal is to provide 100% carbon-free electricity to all its customers across several states by 2050. That includes the Chippewa Valley.

“We really wanted to work closely with these customers and provide options to them to help meet their sustainability goals. We’re fortunate we had good developers and contractors to help make this project possible for the Chippewa Valley,” said Elwood.

Berge is glad to see the collaboration in the Eau Claire Community.

“It’s nice we’re not the only ones trying to reach these big goals. We have partners in the city to help us. It’s going to take all of us to be good stewards of our environment,” said Berge.

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