Montfort, Wisconsin. Wisconsin may be known for its agriculture, but there is another type of agriculture that is reaching a major milestone. The Badger Hollow Solar Plant, the largest solar plant in the state's history, is now fully operational.
The second phase of renewable energy installation has been completed, with a total of 830,000 solar panels currently in operation. The project was built in two phases with a capacity of 150 megawatts, the second phase was jointly owned by We Energies and Madison Gas and Electric.
Brendan Conway, director of media relations for energy group WEC, told WTMJ that the park's total capacity of 300 megawatts is equivalent to powering about 90,000 homes.
Long rows of panels cover parts of Montfort and Cobb towns: "They fit together nicely," Conway said. "These panels are not that tall, so they don't look like big, big buildings."
Conway said the project highlights how solar panel costs are falling and new solar technology allows photovoltaic panels to absorb more energy. Badger Hollow Solar Park's panels have a reversible feature called bifurcation, which is especially convenient for snowy Wisconsin winters.
“On a summer day it might not be a big deal, but if it snows this winter, it can really produce a lot of power,” Conway said. "As the sun reflects off the snow, these panels get energy from both sides."
The panels also maximize energy production by accurately tracking the sun throughout the day.
"They move very slowly and you have to track them every day from dawn to dusk," Conway said.
WEC Energy Group's climate commitment is to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. Conway said they will invest $6.8 billion in new renewable energy projects by 2028.
Late last year, the WEC announced another major step toward reducing carbon emissions, accelerating plans to shut down Wisconsin's remaining coal-fired power plants.
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