
October 21, 2024
WISCONSIN – As part of its consistent effort to provide customers with both reliable and clean energy – while at the same time reshaping its generation fleet and reducing its carbon emissions – WPS, and its sister company We Energies, have filed plans with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to build five new, large-scale renewable energy projects in the Badger State.
“These renewable energy projects are part of our commitment to build a bright, sustainable future and provide customers with affordable, reliable and clean energy,” Mike Hooper, president of WPS and We Energies, said. “As we close our older, less-efficient fossil fuel plants, projects like these will help power the grid and make sure customers have the energy they depend on.”
The what
Matt Cullen – senior communications specialist with WEC Energy Group (the parent company of WPS and We Energies) – said in total, the projects would add 500 megawatts (MW) of new solar power and 180 MW of wind power to the grid.
“That is enough energy to power about 250,000 homes,” he said.
Cullen said these projects are another “concrete example” of WPS/We Energies’ work to provide customers with affordable clean energy.
“We’ve been partnering and working with experienced developers who have a lot of experience in building facilities like these,” he said. “Part of the criteria that we look at when we’re evaluating projects are, what are the available resources – whether it be solar energy or wind – that are present at a specific area? Can we capture that to be able to provide it to our customers? And will we be able to do that in an affordable and reliable manner?”
The land available for renewable energy projects, Cullen said, is another deciding factor on where these types of projects take place.
“So, the projects we’ve already been able to bring online have been able to provide that affordable, reliable and clean energy to our customers, while also having the land that is (needed) to be able to host those projects,” he said.

One of those projects, Cullen said, includes the Two Creeks Solar Park – which is Wisconsin’s first large-scale, utility-scale solar facility.
“That is a project that WPS owns with Madison Gas and Electric,” he said. “That project came online at the end of 2020 and has been providing energy to our customers ever since.”
Cullen said WPS also owns a portion of the Ford Wind Energy Center near Fond du Lac.
“That facility is providing wind energy to our customers by generating energy and electricity using wind energy,” he said.
The when
Some of WPS’ recently filed projects – which still require approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin – should start construction next year, with the first potentially coming online in 2026.
- Dawn Harvest Solar Energy Center (Rock County) – If approved, construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the project scheduled to go into service in 2027.
- Saratoga Solar Energy Center (Wood County) – If approved, construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the project scheduled to go into service in mid-2028.
- Ursa Solar Park (Columbia County) – If approved, construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the project scheduled to go into service in 2026.
- Badger Hollow Wind Farm (Iowa and Grant counties) – If approved, construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the project scheduled to go into service by the end of 2027.
- Whitetail Wind Farm (Grant County) – If approved, construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the project scheduled to go into service by mid-2027.
Now that the projects have been filed, Cullen said the commission will “carefully review those projects” before giving the green light.
If approved, Cullen said the facilities would be jointly owned by WPS, We Energies and Madison Gas & Electric.
Though none of the most recently announced projects are located within Northeast Wisconsin, Cullen said the benefits of them will impact customers throughout the state.
“Once those facilities are complete, they’ll be capable of producing enough energy to power nearly 250,000 homes across the State of Wisconsin – and this will be for our customers whether you are south as Oshkosh or as far north as Minocqua, and all of our customers in between,” he said.
Though Wisconsin customers won’t notice a change when they turn their lights on or start up their machinery for the day, the energy being produced and delivered to them will be using renewable energy – “which again aligns with our commitment to deliver our customers affordable, reliable and clean energy.”
The why
The projects – which will be eligible for federal tax credits – Cullen said are part of the companies’ longer-range plan that is expected to save utility customers more than $2 billion over the next 20 years.
“(The importance of all WPS’ renewable energy projects) goes back to our focus and our commitment to reduce carbon emissions and build a bright, sustainable future for the customers and the communities that we serve,” he said. “These projects will help us continue to advance and achieve our industry-leading carbon emission goals.”

Those goals, Cullen said, include:
- Reducing carbon emissions 80% below 2005 levels by the end of 2030
- Exiting coal as a fuel source for electric generation by the end of 2032
- Becoming net carbon neutral from electric generation by 2050
“So these (newly announced) renewable energy projects will be able to help us continue to make progress and continue to achieve those goals that we set out,” he said. “They will also help us continue to provide significant savings to our customers.”
By adding renewable energy facilities and retiring its older, less-efficient fossil fuel plants, Cullen said they expect to help “save our customers more than $2 billion over the next 20 years.”
Cullen said renewable energy facilities can do this “because the fuel source is free.”
“You’re using energy that’s naturally contained in the sun’s rays, or you’re capturing the energy that wind has to be able to generate electricity for our customers – rather than using a fuel source, such as coal or natural gas or even nuclear fuel, to generate energy for our customers,” he said.
Two of the proposed projects will have 100 MW of battery storage systems, which Cullen said “allows us to provide our customers with sunshine after sunset.”
“During the day, while the sun is out, the batteries charge up, and then when the sun sets and is no longer able to provide energy through solar facilities – those battery storage facilities can provide energy to our customers,” he said.
The projects will be built in Wisconsin, using union labor and workers from across the state – which Cullen said is part of the commitment WPS made earlier this year.
“That is part of our pledge to ensure that our renewable energy facilities employ union workers to the fullest extent possible,” he said.