RED MOUND, Wis, – Governor Evers was just one of the dignitaries to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony in the unincorporated community of Red Mound this week for a unique, first of it’s kind, community solar project that aims to make renewable energy affordable for everyone. The Bluff Prairie Solar Farm project was years in the making and was the result of an extensive collaboration between the State of Wisconsin Office of Energy Innovation, Vernon Electric, CouleeCap and One Energy Renewables of Madison.
Vernon Electric CEO Craig Buros said their Co-op has done other community solar projects in the past, and they have been very popular and successful, usually selling out before the facilities are even completed, but the Co-op has been looking for ways to make renewables affordable to people who did not have the resources to invest in the upfront cost.
“Not everybody had the ability to pay $600 and wait for a 16 year payback on that investment,” said Buros.
Buros said since their first community solar project 10 years ago Vernon Electric continued to look for a way to do more renewables that were “revenue neutral.” Buros said the way they brought the cost down was through economy of scale by partnering with nine other co-ops across the state.
“So instead of going out for pricing for this 1.5 megawatt project,” said Buros. “We went for pricing for 12 projects at 22 megawatts.”
Buros said the other co-ops will be bringing their projects online in the coming months. The Bluff Prairie project is primarily a community project with 2,000 of the 3,276 panels dedicated to community purchase. Buros said members can purchase the yearly output of a panel for a $50 subscription, and the estimated output for that panel is about $56 dollars. That equates to a savings of about 10-12 percent annually.
Buros said as they planned the project the $50 buy in price made the project more palatable than other projects higher upfront cost, but at the point the project was “making solar available for most, but not for all.”
That’s where CouleeCap stepped up. Buros said CouleeCap Executive Director Hetti Brown approached them and made them aware of grant money available to help low to moderate income earners be able to access renewable energy. The idea was to have CouleeCap apply for the grants and they would become the subscriber for income eligible members of Vernon Electric.
In the end the project will have 550 panels available that will allow low to moderate income members of the Co-op to buy into the program at no cost to them.
“So in the end we ended up with a project that really provides solar for all,” said Buros.”
“When you look at the partnerships it took to pull this off it is really pretty amazing. I think we have a good story to tell here. I think it should be an example of what we can do when organizations come together with common interests and work for the best interests of the residents in rural Wisconsin.”
Vernon Electric Co-op CEO Craig Buros
“When you look at the partnerships it took to pull this off it is really pretty amazing,” said Buros. “I think we have a good story to tell here. I think it should be an example of what we can do when organizations come together with common interests and work for the best interests of the residents in rural Wisconsin.”
Brown talked about what the project does for CouleeCap the population they serve.
“Today marks a significant achievement in our fight against energy poverty,” said Brown.
Brown said their staff began conversations with the Public Service Commissions Office of Energy Innovation and discovered there was money available for projects aimed at low to moderate income consumers. Brown said they also worked with the State Department of Administration Division of Energy, Housing and Community Resource.
Brown said poverty burdened households in Vernon County pay about 15-30 percent of their income on energy, and the largest portion of that is usually electricity. Brown said accessing solar projects is a great way to address the burden, especially when paired with their home weatherization program. Brown said up until now accessing solar for low income residents was difficult due to that large upfront cost. Brown said CouleeCap conducted focus groups and the feedback was very strong that low income residents wanted to access renewables, but it was just out of reach of most people.
“Today marks a significant achievement in our fight against energy poverty.”
CouleeCap Executive Director Hetti Brown
“Then we reached out to our friends at Vernon Electric Cooperative because they like to be first,” said Brown. “They like to do things that are forward thinking. So these conversations resulted in a three way partnership between the state of Wisconsin, a non-profit community action agency and local electric cooperative. And now we stand here today launching a significant project which is the first of its kind in Wisconsin.”
Joe Pate with the Public Service Commission said Governor Evers Executive Order 38 was instrumental in setting aside funding for solar projects that were aimed at low to moderate income households. Pate this project and others that will follow were built with that in mind.
Governor Evers said projects like this are proof that local partnerships are vital to get complex projects done, and this project shows that renewable energy also means jobs.
“Clean energy is part of our future,” said Evers. “Since day one my administration has been committed to building a clean energy workforce and economy that supports twenty first century needs. Our shared goals are critical to a sustainable future for our state and especially for those who lack economic security, or the means to fully transition to clean energy for their homes and communities. Folks, we don’t have to choose between mitigating climate change and protecting our environment, and good paying jobs and economic development. We can do both. And today’s celebration is a great example of that.”
Evers thanked CouleeCap for helping launch Energize Wisconsin, the PSC program that provided $250,000 to make the project a reality.
“You can’t live without electricity or heat in your home, whether you’re rich or poor. And we have to make sure that there is new and innovative ways that are impacting not just people of means, but people that struggle financially. CouleeCap kind of steps in the chasm here to make that happen,”
Governor Tony Evers
“CouleeCap’s innovative program will help ensure that this community solar array is truly serving the community,” said Evers. “Helping to break down cost barriers that can stand in the way of folks engaging with these exciting local clean energy alternatives. Programs and partners like this are the future and supporting their success to supporting our success as a state.”
State Representative Loren Oldenburg (R-Viroqua) said this project shows how projects like this should be done.
“This is the way it should be done,” Oldenburg said. “On a smaller scale. As I drive to Madison I see these big solar farms taking away farm land.”
Oldenburg commended the partnerships between state and local entities that made the project happen.
“Hopefully this takes hold and we can see it expand across the state,” said Oldenburg.
State Senator Brad Pfaff said the project is an example of communities putting aside differences and coming together to solve problems.
“I do believe that the best ideas come from the ground up,” said Pfaff. “What you see here is local innovation and creativity. I see where the community comes together to serve the needs of the people here.”
For more information about how to access the Prairie Bluff Solar Farm you can go to the Vernon Electric Co-op website here.
Or you can go to CouleeCaps website here.
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