A Seattle-based solar power developer wants to build a 5-megawatt solar farm on city-owned land on Green Bay’s far east side.
The Green Bay Finance Committee on Jan. 27 unanimously recommended the City Council approve a land lease and solar easement with OneEnergy Renewables LLC, but also recommended the company pay a higher per-acre price to the city than was written in a previous draft agreement.
The agreement calls for OneEnergy to lease 35-40 acres the city owns in the business park exclave off Algoma Road. The initial lease would be for 30 years and OneEnergy would have an option to extend the lease for 10 more years. The site is currently zoned for light manufacturing where solar installations are allowed.
After a closed session discussion, the Finance Committee amended the terms to increase the rental rate OneEnergy would pay the city by $200 per acre. It is not clear whether the company will agree to those terms or the contract will require further negotiations.
The contract would give the solar company sole rights “to capture unimpeded solar insolation” on the property. Any vegetation or structures that would keep the company from getting the sun’s light for power may be removed by OneEnergy at the company’s expense, according to the agreement.
OneEnergy, which develops solar energy across the nation, approached the city about installing a solar field in Green Bay that would add to the company’s portfolio of 55 projects across Wisconsin that generate about 220 megawatts, according to a OneEnergy presentation included in the committee packet.
The city and OneEnergy on Oct. 8, 2025, hosted a neighborhood meeting attended by 30 nearby residents, including some who live in the neighboring Town of Scott.
The Finance Committee initially discussed the lease terms in a closed session during its Dec. 9 meeting, but did not move the agreement forward at the time.
OneEnergy chose the site based on the land’s relative flatness and closeness to a Wisconsin Public Service Corp. substation with easy access to electric lines, according to OneEnergy’s presentation.
The company presentation and city staff report underlined the project as a job creator and stimulator of the local economy that happens to generate renewable energy. The company stressed energy independence from the larger electric grid.
The terms initially called for OneEnergy to pay the city $28,000 per year during construction phases and then $800-per-acre per year while the site is in operation, with 2% annual increases each year. City staff estimated the lease would generate $1.14 million over the 40-year term.
Finance Committee members, all of whom are City Council members, approved an amendment that increased the initial lease price to $1,000 per acre. Council member Brian Johnson said that price was about the median price solar farm operators pay for land and that the committee members weighed the lease revenue versus the potential tax revenue the same site could generate over the next 40 years if developed privately with other uses.
The lease also calls for OneEnergy to give $5,000 in “utility aid” per megawatt generated per year, or an estimated $25,000 annually, to the city and Brown County to split.
On the land would be rows of solar panels on stretches of native prairie plants.
OneEnergy would build an access road to the site to install the property. And the parts of the property OneEnergy does not utilize will still be available to the local farmer who uses them now.
OneEnergy would remove and recycle all solar panels from the site within a year of when the project no longer produces power, according to its presentation.
The lease and easement now go to the Green Bay City Council for consideration. The council’s next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, in City Hall, 100 N. Jefferson St.
If the city and company agree on a lease, there’s still a long road ahead before construction starts. OneEnergy will have to go through various permitting processes to get the solar installation approved.
Jesse Lin is a reporter covering the community of Green Bay and its surroundings, as well as politics in northeastern Wisconsin. He also writes a weekly column answering reader questions about Green Bay. Contact and send him questions at 920-834-4250 or jlin@usatodayco.com.
Contact business reporter Jeff Bollier at (920) 431-8387 or jbollier@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X at @JeffBollier. 

source