TOWN OF MORGAN, Wis. (WBAY) – Concerns expressed on Tuesday night in Oconto County continue with a number of residents fighting a plan by an energy resource company to build a large number of solar panels covering more than 1,000 acres near county highways C and CC.
The company NextEra Energy, which is looking to bring its Fox Solar Project to Oconto County, was originally expected to be at Tuesday night’s Morgan town hall meeting.
The town chair says they were informed earlier that NextEra would not be attending as a result of online threats from surrounding townships.
The Oconto County Sheriff’s Office tells Action 2 News’ Drew Best that they are aware of these threats but cannot share more at this time.
The town hall still reached full capacity for the meeting. Town and county officials fielded questions and concerns from the community about the proposed solar panel project.
Several people shared concerns about panels taking up farmland, increased fire danger from the large lithium batteries powering the panels, and the potential of data centers eventually setting up near the large energy supply, taking up more land.
An Oconto County board member said the reason the county and town don’t have a say is that the federal government encourages all green projects on agricultural farmland to move forward under the Green New Deal. However, that federal green energy bill was never signed into law.
Rather, a Wisconsin statute, 66.0401, limits restrictions local governments can place on solar projects, saying there can be no restrictions unless the project threatens public safety, and the restriction cannot increase costs or decrease efficiency or must allow for a system with similar cost and efficiency.
Both citizens and town leaders feel their voices are not being heard.
“We need to get our voices heard at our congressman’s offices, our representative’s offices. We need to start sending letters, you need to start calling them, and telling them that this is not okay,” one local said.
“The thought that you can just in 180 days stamp it, and they can just be on their way, can come in and do what they want. I don’t even know what to say about that,” Lori Witthuhn, Morgan Town Board Chair, said.
On Tuesday, Action 2 News reached out to NextEra for a response to this town hall cancellation but did not hear back at the time of this writing.
The town chair calls the next steps the intervening process, saying NextEra still needs a buyer and a joint development agreement with the village and county before moving forward with any project.
The clerk from the town of Morgan shared the following responses from Sen. Eric Wimberger and Rep. Elijah Behnke on the project. Benke’s statement is dated from a month ago.
September 9, 2025
Oconto County Board of Supervisors 301 Washington Street Oconto, WI 54153
Dear Members of the Oconto County Board of Supervisors,
I represent the State Assembly District that includes the Town of Morgan, and I need to share my serious concerns about NextEra Energy Resources’ Fox Solar Project. This plan would blanket more than 1,100 acres of prime farmland with solar panels. My constituents have made their opposition clear.
For years now, this community has said no. In 2023, Morgan residents voted against projects like this in a local referendum. Town meetings get heated when the issue comes up. People worry about losing fertile soil, dealing with an industrial facility in their backyard, watching wildlife disappear, seeing their property values decline, and having rural roads damaged by heavy equipment. This is not some knee-jerk reaction. People have thought this through.
Washington is starting to recognize the problem. The USDA pulled funding for solar and wind projects on farmland because they realized we can’t afford to lose prime agricultural soil. Solar subsidies are getting cut back. Tariffs have made imported panels more expensive. Federal policy is catching up to what Morgan residents understood years ago. Farmland matters too much to hand over to energy companies.
NextEra keeps talking about being “good neighbors,” but when push comes to shove, the state makes this decision, not Morgan. The town gets stuck with the consequences while having almost no say in whether it happens. That is backwards. Morgan residents have voted, petitioned, and packed town halls. If you ignore all that and approve this project anyway, you’re basically telling rural communities their voices don’t count.
You have a chance to back up your constituents here. Stand against this project. Push for more local control in how these decisions get made. Protect the farmland and rural character that makes Oconto County what it is.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not anti-renewable energy. I just think rural communities shouldn’t have to sacrifice their livelihoods and landscapes so energy companies can profit from projects nobody asked for.
Thank you for your consideration and for your service to Oconto County.
Respectfully,
Elijah Behnke
Elijah Behnke WI State Representative 6th Assembly District
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October 7, 2025
Town of Morgan Town Board 3276 County Road C Oconto Falls, WI 54154
Dear Honorable Members of the Town Board,
I appreciate the invitation to attend tonight’s meeting, although I am unable to attend due to legislative hearings in Madison. However, I am writing to you in support of local control in the planning and approval processes for large scale solar projects like the Fox Solar Project in the Town of Morgan. Throughout the state, citizens and leaders in rural communities feel ignored when expressing concerns about large utility projects being constructed in their backyards.
Current law relies on the Public Service Commission (PSC) to approve a certificate of public convenience and necessity for proposed large scale energy facilities like the Fox Solar Project. By having approval for these projects centralized at the state level, local officials are often left out of important discussions on the impact that these projects have on our communities.
To bring these discussions back to the local level where they should be, I have co-sponsored Senate Bill 3 which requires local officials to approve or reject a proposed solar or wind project by adopting a resolution no later than 90 days after receiving a request for approval. Additionally, this bill would prohibit the PSC from approving a project unless each city, village, and town in which the project will be located has adopted a resolution approving the project.
The Fox Solar Project has been forced onto the Town of Morgan, despite widespread opposition from town residents. During the April 2023 election, 67% of Morgan residents voted against a solar energy project in the town. The citizens cite health, safety, and environmental concerns as reasons for why the project should not proceed. However, there is no guarantee that the PSC will acknowledge the referendum results or take the residents’ concerns seriously while considering the Fox Solar Project.
While many energy projects are important, we must prioritize local control and the wishes of the communities in which projects are located. It remains my hope that we pass Senate Bill 3, and put power back into the hands of those who have been elected to lead.
Thank you for taking the time, and my office is available for any help you may need at (608)266-5670 or sen.wimberger@legis.wisconsin.gov.
Sincerely,
Eric Wimberger
Senator Eric Wimberger Wisconsin State Senate – District 2
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