Blog last updated August 14, 2024 at 7:20pm
Action alert! The Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin is considering a proposal for the construction of the Vista Sands Solar Farm (Docket No. 9280-CE-100). The solar farm would be located on what is currently conventional agricultural land in Portage County near the towns of Plover, Buena Vista, and Grant. At nearly 1,300 megawatts, the Vista Sands Solar Farm would be Wisconsin’s largest renewable energy project to date – with a 4.7% reduction in our state’s emissions! It could power almost 200,000 average Wisconsin homes annually with fossil-free electricity.
In addition to its unprecedented climate benefits, the solar farm will bring good-paying union jobs to local communities, support the local economy, and aid in ecosystem restoration and land preservation. And because the project will reduce pollution from fossil fuel electricity generation, it will also provide substantial public health benefits!
However, the project has been the subject of controversy due to concerns about its impacts on the Greater Prairie Chicken. Because the vast majority of project area is intensively-farmed cropland, the project could actually mitigate some of the existing harms (such as fertilizer and pesticide application that impacts local water quality and heavy agricultural traffic) to local wildlife. The developer should work closely with experts throughout the project’s lifespan to avoid harm to local wildlife, particularly the Greater Prairie Chicken, and maximize beneficial conservation efforts like native grassland restoration.
The Vista Sands Solar Farm project has the potential to create long-lasting positive change for Wisconsin. We need your help to ensure the PSC considers both the environmental and climate benefits of the Vista Sands Solar Farm in its decision, and ultimately approves it!
Submit your comment by Friday, August 16 using the PSC’s public comment form. We’ve provided some sample comment language and talking points below for you to use, but we encourage you to make it your own… your comments will have much greater power if they’re written in your own words and bring in your own personal experiences and concerns!
If you’ve submitted your comment and want to make an even greater impact, consider testifying at a public hearing! The public hearings are scheduled for Thursday, August 15 at 2 PM and 6 PM – testify via Zoom (using this link) or in-person at Best Western Hotel & Convention Center in Plover, Wisconsin.
Let’s make our voices heard to support Wisconsin’s clean energy future!