The Cap Times | Douglas Machon November 20
Municipal governments across Wisconsin know a thing or two about tight budgets and stretching the dollar. While people across the state face the blunt end of economic uncertainty and inflation, our rural communities are in a unique position to propel themselves and their economies forward.
In the town of Saratoga, Alliant Energy’s Wood County Solar Project has been generating clean energy since December 2022. With this new installation, the town and county will receive regular payments from the state, benefiting the entire community.
Projects like this one allow municipalities to improve their infrastructure and give back to their communities. The developers of the project have been a reliable partner, working with the community on several initiatives, including preparing students at Mid-State Technical College for the workforce, funding the local food pantry, supporting a local music festival and working with snowmobile riders to reroute trails during the development stage. This case study on the collaboration between government and businesses serves as an example for other municipalities weighing their decision on whether to permit similar renewable infrastructure.
In rural communities, solar projects can provide farmers and landowners options to grow their businesses and diversify their income, while protecting their private property rights.
Agriculture and farming are vital industries and pillars of Wisconsin’s culture and economic success. However, the state has lost nearly 15,000 farms over the last 23 years. Many hard-working farm families are already operating on razor-thin profit margins and are looking for new solutions. Solar farms can be one way of addressing this problem by letting farmers grow their businesses as stewards of their land. To top it all off, solar is as functional year-round as a drought-proof cash crop.
Renewable energy systems, like solar farms, are giving communities in Wisconsin’s heartland the opportunity to boost their budgets and provide taxpayers relief at a time when they desperately need it. Solar power has far-reaching benefits that especially support rural communities, creating jobs, driving innovation and strengthening our economy. It ultimately puts Wisconsin in a position to be a key player in moving the Midwest’s energy ecosystem forward.
With conservation at the top of mind for many across the state, it’s important to note that Wisconsin’s Land and Water Conservation Board has declared no real threats from solar projects to the ecosystem from any potential water runoff or pollution. In communities where land is leased, as the project’s timeline comes to an end, the soil is healed and ready to continue producing for generations to come. Temporarily using land for energy production can help rejuvenate the soil for future use.
In the end, solar isn’t just good for the bottom lines of farmers, it’s good for the community and good for Wisconsin. That’s something we should all be able to agree on.
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