Rows and rows of solar panels rise from what had been farmland on both sides of Seminole Highway, just past Lacy Road. The O’Brien Solar Fields, Dane County’s largest solar development, has completed construction, begun testing and is expected to go “online” in June, says Steve Schultz, corporate communications manager for Madison Gas and Electric, which partnered with EDF Renewables on the project.
“It is possible that over the next few weeks as people go by they may notice the panels moving or some panels facing different directions,” says Schultz. “It’s all part of the testing process; making sure the panels and the system are working the way they are supposed to be working.”
Construction on the facility, which MGE will own, operate and maintain, began last year after the project was approved in October by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission. The 20-megawatt solar array features 60,000 panels on approximately 160 acres and will deliver energy to local businesses, UW-Madison, the city of Fitchburg and Wisconsin Department of Administration. It is expected to produce enough annually to power nearly 6,300 typical homes.
Sterling Root of EDF Renewables, which developed and built the project, says that it will still take a bit of time for a low-growth pollinator mix to “take hold” on the property. These plants and flowers, that are native to the state of Wisconsin and will not grow above three feet, will “cover the entire array within the project fence and should help to stimulate local bee habitats,” says Root.
The site, which was farmed by the O’Brien family for more than 100 years, was chosen because it’s flat, a large open space, has suitable soil, is near existing electric infrastructure, and is not on wetlands, according to a fact sheet prepared by EDF Renewables, which lists some additional selling points. The facility produces clean, emission-free electricity; there are no emissions and minimal noise; and “the farm can be fully decommissioned at the end of term (typically 35 years), and land can be returned to previous use and condition.”
Also, it generates electricity during times of peak use, “lessening strain on the community grid and reducing the need for MGE to buy more expensive electricity from outside of its service territory.”
“This project is another step forward as MGE actively transitions our energy supply mix to greater use of renewables as we move toward our 2030 and 2050 goals,” says Schultz. “We're doing everything we can today to lower carbon emissions as quickly and as cost-effectively as we can. We expect to achieve carbon reductions of at least 65 percent by 2030.”
Judith Davidoff
O'Brien Solar Fields in Fitchburg May 2021
A news release from UW-Madison, which expects to get five percent of its electricity needs from the solar array, says the farm will also provide research opportunities for students and faculty and be a destination for field trips as well. “By repurposing farmland for the solar array and creating a shared, educational space in our community, we are also celebrating the connection between sustainability and the Wisconsin Idea,” UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in the release.
Promega Corporation, located in Fitchburg, is one of the local businesses partnering on the initiative. According to an October 2020 news release, the biotech company planned to purchase enough energy generated from the farm (under MGE's Renewable Energy Rider) to supply more than eight percent of its current annual electric consumption.
“Promega is fortunate to be a part of such an advanced initiative for sustainable practices in our community,” Kevin Stefanczyk, facility project manager, said at the time. “We appreciate the engineering accomplishment of generating carbon-free energy at this scale and are optimistic the O’Brien project will contribute to local momentum around engaging in more renewable resources.”
Schultz does not know whether there will someday be public tours at the facility but says educational opportunities are not out of the question. “There’s definitely possibilities.”
