TOWN OF MUKWONAGO — A 6-megawatt solar project is being proposed in the Town of Mukwonago, according to the Spring Lake Solar Mukwonago website.
OneEnergy is developing the Spring Lake Solar project, which would be located on about 28 acres and produce electricity for local homes and businesses — enough to power nearly 1,600 average Wisconsin homes annually. During peak construction, the project is expected to support more than 30 union jobs.
The project is proposed on the northwest corner of Section Road and County Road I on the property that will be leased from the Sugden family, according to a letter to a resident from OneEnergy Renewables.
“The project would interconnect to the existing electric distribution lines along County Road I and serve local We Energies customers,” the letter said.
The project is expected to operate for 30 to 50 years, after which the solar facilities would be removed. According to the project website, the land would be restored so the soil is ready for farming.
OneEnergy would start construction in spring 2027, pending receipt of all required permits and approvals and the availability of key equipment. Construction is expected to take four to six months.
Before construction begins, the website said it will complete environmental studies, surveys and permits required by the county and state.
A 16-foot-wide gravel access road would provide access to the site from County Highway I, north of Section Road. The site would be enclosed by an 8-foot-tall woven-wire, deer-exclusion-style agricultural fence, similar to fencing used around orchards, the website said.
The project also would make use of existing tree lines on all sides of the property. To enhance vegetative screening, OneEnergy is proposing additional native plantings in strategic locations.
Spring Lake Solar would interconnect with existing three-phase electric distribution lines along County Highway I.
The area beneath and around the solar panels would be preseeded with a cover crop before construction and permanently planted with a low-growing perennial pollinator and prairie mix following construction. The project design also preserves several mature oak trees on the property, while land outside the project area would remain in agricultural use, the website said.
The Spring Lake Solar project is located on land zoned for agricultural use. To proceed with construction, the project will need a Conditional Use Permit from the Town of Mukwonago.
The permit would allow the solar project as a conditional use of the property, subject to conditions imposed by the town in the final permit.
The zoning would remain agricultural throughout the project’s lifetime because the change in land use would be temporary and apply only to the specific project. At the end of the project’s useful life, the conditional use would no longer be needed and the land could be returned to agricultural use following decommissioning, the website said.
A neighborhood open house is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday at the Mukwonago Library, according to a pamphlet mailed to residents.
The Town of Mukwonago Plan Commission is scheduled to discuss the project Sept. 2, according to the pamphlet. No agenda had been posted for the Sept. 2 meeting as of Thursday.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4gbA1Di.
All the local news you need
in the palm of your hand.
DIGITAL:$10 PER MONTH
$6 FOR 6 MONTHS
PRINT+DIGITAL:
AS LOW AS $23 PER MONTH
Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.
We recommend switching to one of the following browsers:
