We Energies approved to purchase 4 large solar, wind projects

The state Public Service Commission approved the utility’s purchase of four large wind, solar and batter projects totaling over 450 megawatts.

Wisconsin’s Public Service Commission approved four solar, wind and battery projects to be purchased by WEC Energy Group, the parent company of We Energies.

The four projects approved by the commission Nov. 25 will provide more than 450 megawatts of energy, according to We Energies, or enough to power around 150,000 homes. We Energies expects the projects to come online in 2027 and 2028.

The two solar projects include the 200-megawatt Ursa Solar Park in Columbia County and Wood County’s 150-megawatt Saratoga Solar Energy Center. The Wood County facility will also include a 50-megawatt battery storage plant.

The commission also approved the Whitetail Wind Farm in Grant County and the Badger Hollow Wind Farm in Iowa and Grant counties. These facilities will provide up to 185 megawatts.

We Energies will own the majority of each facility. The rest is split between Madison Gas & Electric and the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, another subsidiary of We Energies.

“These new projects will serve customers year-round and are expected to provide customers millions of dollars in fuel cost and federal tax credit savings,” We Energies President Mike Hooper said in a statement Nov. 25.

The utility companies said the facilities will help their transition to cleaner sources of energy.

“The companies plan to retire older, less efficient fossil fuel plants, and invest more than $8 billion in low-cost, highly efficient natural gas generation, renewable generation and storage resources in Wisconsin,” the utilities said in a joint application to the Public Service Commission.

The facilities will come online as Wisconsin’s energy demand is expected to rise dramatically, in large part due to multiple proposed data center projects.

We Energies is seeking approval for nine other solar and natural gas projects to help power Wisconsin data centers. These facilities total $5.5 billion and would add nearly three gigawatts of energy.

The Public Service Commission is expected to make a final decision on the nine projects in 12 to 18 months.