Madison Gas and Electric (MGE), in partnership with We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS), subsidiaries of WEC Energy Group, is seeking approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to purchase 20 megawatts of solar energy and 11 megawatts of battery storage from the 200-megawatt Paris Solar-Battery Park.
“Investment in solar energy and battery storage at the Paris Solar-Battery Park is an opportunity for MGE to invest further in cost-effective clean energy and new technologies to reliably serve all our customers as we work to meet our aggressive carbon reduction goals,” said Jeff Keebler, MGE Chairman, President and CEO. “This project is another step toward carbon reductions of at least 65% by 2030 and our goal of net-zero carbon by 2050. We have said since introducing our clean energy and carbon reduction goals—if we can go further faster, we will.”
The Paris Solar-Battery Park will help MGE to meet future energy and capacity needs cost-effectively as the company continues its ongoing transition away from coal-fired electricity with the planned retirement of the Columbia Energy Center in Portage by the end of 2024. MGE’s share of the Paris Solar-Battery Park will power about 6,000 households.
Invenergy received approval in December 2020 from the PSCW to build the project in the Town of Paris in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. Invenergy proposed to install a battery storage system at the site as well.
When completed, the 1,500-acre project is expected to feature up to 750,000 solar panels. We Energies and WPS will own the remaining 180 megawatts of the output and 99 megawatts of battery storage from the project. If approved, construction is expected to begin in 2022 and to begin serving customers in 2023.
— Solar Builder magazine
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