The public took advantage during two of its last chances March 5 to let the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin know what they thought, for the record, of the proposed more than 1,100-acre solar energy farm NextEra Energy Resources is hoping to build in the Town of Morgan in Oconto County.
And outside of a representative from one state advocacy group, those who chose to speak, whether in person or via livestream, gave a variety of reasons they were against the project.
Michael Newmark, administrative law judge for the PSC, presided over two hearings, one in the afternoon and the other in the evening, at Oconto Falls Community and Senior Center to gather public comment on the record for the PSC’s three commissioners to review before deciding whether or not to approve what NextEra has named the Fox Solar project.
Utility projects in Wisconsin must receive PSC approval before new construction can begin, and Newmark emphasized that the on-the-record comments and testimony is the only information the commission can use when considering its decision. NextEra representatives and officials speaking on behalf of governments and agencies had their chance to testify in a March 3 hearing.
“This is not a Q&A session or a discussion,” Newmark said. “We’re just here to get comments on the project.”
The March 5 afternoon session saw three people testify in person and two via Zoom, while the evening session had six commenters, all in person. They included 6th District State Rep. Elijah Behnke, several Oconto County Board supervisors and Town of Morgan officials as well as residents of the area.
The lengthiest testimony came from County Supervisor David Behrend, who spoke for more than an hour in the evening session and cited a wide variety of reasons to oppose Fox Solar.
Behrend questioned the lack of specifics provided in NextEra’s application for the solar farm in some aspects, effects the construction and operation of the farm and the materials used to build the farm and its panels would have on the soil and wildlife, and the quality and durability of those materials.
He also questioned NextEra’s liability in case a fire or other disaster damaged neighboring properties, which he said was far insufficient as currently proposed and was informed wouldn’t be covered by homeowner’s insurance because such an incident would be man-made, not natural.
Bruce Jeske of Oconto Falls told Newmark the site NextEra chose for the project is “the worst site imaginable,” citing environmental concerns if a fire or other problems occurs that might cause harmful items to get into the soil and groundwater. Speaking with the Oconto County Reporter during a break in the hearing, Jeske noted a large wetland is on one side of the site and the ground slopes down toward the Oconto River less than a mile away.
Robert Wolf of Oconto Falls said he was neither for nor against solar farms but testified that it made no sense to build such a farm where most of the electricity produced won’t be used, noting the power lines and other equipment that would be needed to transmit the power elsewhere.
“Why don’t we find out where the electricity is going to be needed and build there?” Wolf said. “To put a solar farm up here and transport the electricity somewhere else is the definition of insanity.”
County Supervisor Jolene Barkhaus, who lives in Abrams but represents and owns land for recreation in the town, cited the feeling that town and county residents were shut out of the decision-making process, a feeling others have brought up. Local governments in Wisconsin are not able to bar solar energy projects.
“I’m here to tell you how this process feels to the people. Hollow,” Barckhaus said. “It feels like just another box to be checked. We walk away feeling dismissed, not heard. We’re not asking you to merely hear us. We’re asking you to simply see us.”
She also cited the loss of many acres of farmland in the small rural community and that a divide has grown between supporters and opponents of the project.
“It’s not just space on a map. It’s prime agricultural land,” Barkhaus said. “Farmers want this land. It’s not abandoned or unused.
“What’s being lost is trust, community and a way of life that cannot be restored.”
Following the hearing, Barkhaus told the Reporter she’s most concerned with what happens to the land where the solar farm would be located, not just while it’s operating but also once it’s decommissioned, if that ever happens.
“There’s no plan (for decommissioning),” she said. “There haven’t been enough to have some kind of a playbook. These properties all have soil with drain tile, all have been used for farming for generations. That’s what keeps me up at night, how much good soil we’ll have left.”
Behnke also testified he felt a lack of clarity and local control over Fox Solar.
“It’s not that I don’t like solar,” he said. “I just generally don’t like government shoving something down people’s throats. I don’t want a community to be bullied because we need so many kilowatts.”
Speaking in favor of the project was Adam Jordahl, director of energy policy for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, who said the advocacy group supports it because of the jobs and revenue it’s projected to create for the area, in addition to the power, provided it meets stated goals and doesn’t harm the soil or surrounding environment.
NextEra, which operates wind, solar, nuclear and natural gas energy facilities in 41 states and Canada, including the Point Beach nuclear plant and Point Beach solar farm in Manitowoc, has agreements with several landowners so far in the rural township.
The Fox Solar plan has been a major source of controversy in recent years, with those opposed to it concerned with possible effects on the scenery, the land and wildlife, the ecosystem and property values, as well as the fact that the project is able to move forward without local approval.
It led to a recall election in 2022 that ousted the town chair and a town supervisor who signed agreements to let NextEra use their land, with those seeking the recalls claiming the longtime officials had conflicts of interest in the solar issue and weren’t open with residents about the proposed solar farm, which they denied.
It also led to referendum questions in the April 2023 election in which 67% of Morgan residents voted to not support a solar energy project in the town and nearly 75% voted in favor of the county supporting health, safety and environmental concerns if considering a solar project.
No more public hearings about the Fox Solar farm will be held but written comments can be filed with the PSC by March 9. They can be submitted online at https://apps.psc.wi.gov/pages/publicCommentCase.htm?util=9833&case=CE&num=100. Newmark told the Reporter the statutory deadline for the commissioners to reach a decision is May 4.
Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@usatodayco.com.

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