Wisconsin regulators approve two new solar projects for $360 million – Up North News

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Now.Solar

A farm near the Paris Solar racking system on Friday September 22, 2023 in Union Grove, Wis. Paris Solar is a 200-megawatt solar farm under development by Invenergy is owned by We Energies, Wisconsin Public Service Corp. and Madison Gas & Eletric. It consists of 1,500 acres and 480,000 solar panels. (USA Today via Reuters Connect)
By USA Today Network via Reuters Connect
State utility regulators unanimously approved another pair of solar projects that may help power hyperscale data centers.
The Public Service Commission approved on March 19 We Energies’ purchase of Good Oak and Gristmill solar generation facilities in Columbia County. The two projects will generate 165 megawatts, enough to power around 50,000 Wisconsin homes, and cost a combined $360 million.
We Energies will own 80% of both facilities, spokesperson Brendan Conway said. The remaining power will be split between Madison Gas & Electric and the Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, another WEC Energy Group subsidiary.
Good Oak will span 800 acres in the Town of Lewiston and consist of 191,000 solar panels. Gristmill is half the size and will consist of nearly 132,000 panels in the Town of Columbus.
Should commissioners approve We Energies’ plan to establish a separate electric rate for large data centers, both facilities will allot 70% of their energy to data center customers. Customers in this service category include Microsoft and Vantage’s multi-billion dollar data center campuses in southeast Wisconsin.
The PSC recently approved We Energies’ purchase of a 200-megawatt solar generation and battery storage facility in Rock County that may serve Vantage’s Port Washington campus. That project was filed along with four other wind and solar projects totaling nearly 700 megawatts. Regulators approved the four projects in November.
The Columbia County facilities will help WEC Energy Group’s generation fleet reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the company said in public filings. It plans to invest $20 billion in natural gas, renewable energy and battery storage while retiring older coal plants.
“Today’s commission approval will add more renewable energy to the power grid and support the state’s increased electricity needs in the coming years,” We Energies President Mike Hooper said in a statement March 19.
During a Public Service Commission meeting March 19, Commissioner Marcus Hawkins said the purchases provide “customer benefits and alight with the overall plans and carbon reduction goals of the three utilities.”
Construction on the facilities are expected to begin by the end of 2026. The plants will likely go online in 2028.
In October 2025, We Energies filed its latest round of energy projects for data centers, including seven solar projects totaling $2.8 billion and two natural gas plants for $2.3 billion. The PSC is expected to rule on those projects in the next 12 months.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin regulators approve two new solar projects for $360 million
Reporting by Francesca Pica, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

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