MGE seeks approval for new community solar option

MGE is asking State regulators to approve a new community solar program largely based on Shared Solar, MGE's original and fully subscribed community solar program. Shared Solar II would offer participants the option to pay a minimal up-front fee to subscribe to receive energy from a local solar array for six years as the company continues to work toward reduced carbon emissions of at least 80% by 2030 (based on 2005 levels).

Shared Solar II builds on the success of our popular community solar program and provides our customers with another option for affordable, locally generated energy while also reducing costs for nonparticipating customers.

MGE residential and small business electric customers who choose to participate in Shared Solar II would receive carbon-free energy for up to 50% of their annual consumption and would lock in their energy rate for the six-year term of the agreement. A low-income alternative also is proposed for Shared Solar II.

Strix Solar

Strix Solar, a 6-megawatt (MW) solar project in Fitchburg, would serve MGE's Shared Solar II program. Shared Solar II would account for 2 MW of the output from Strix Solar during its first six years of operation. The remaining 4 MW will serve all MGE electric customers as a distributed energy resource.

The project is nearing completion and is expected to begin serving customers by the end of 2024.

MGE to partner on multiple projects

MGE will own a share of seven large-scale Wisconsin solar and wind projects if approved by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin. The facilities will provide more than 84 MW of renewable capacity to serve customers. That's enough clean energy to power more than 32,000 typical households each year.

The projects include:

• Badger Hollow Wind Farm in Iowa and Grant counties.
• Dawn Harvest Solar Energy Center in Rock County.
• Good Oak Solar Farm in Columbia County.
• Gristmill Solar Farm in Columbia County.
• Saratoga Solar Energy Center in Wood County.
• Ursa Solar Park in Columbia County.
• Whitetail Wind Farm in Grant County.

If approved, MGE's total ownership share would be 66.5 MW of solar, 17.9 MW of wind and 5 MW of battery storage.

We are pursuing our decarbonization strategies to lower carbon emissions as quickly and as cost-effectively as we can for the benefit of all customers. Each of these projects represents another step to help us achieve our industry-leading carbon reduction goals.