Residents Rally Against Proposed Solar Farm Threatening Farmland and Water Supply

The St. Croix County Community Development Committee convened on August 21, 2025, to address significant concerns regarding the proposed Excel Solar Farm project. The meeting featured a series of passionate public comments from residents expressing their opposition to the solar farm, citing potential negative impacts on property values, agricultural land, and water quality.

The session began with a fervent address from a local resident who urged committee members to reject the solar farm proposal outright. He emphasized the need for community members to stand firm against what he described as a threat to their land and values, asserting that the project would lead to lower property values and environmental degradation. He called for a resolution that explicitly states "no" to the solar farm, arguing that silence would not be remembered in history.

Following this, Catherine Monkitrick, a long-time resident, voiced her alarm over the project, highlighting concerns about the approval process and the implications for agricultural land. She shared her experience as a retired attorney, advocating for residents to explore legal avenues to oppose the solar farm, particularly given the changing laws regarding solar installations on agricultural land.

Sue Curtis shifted the focus to broader environmental concerns, specifically the impact of manure spreading on local watersheds. She urged the committee to consider all threats to groundwater, advocating for stricter regulations on land use to protect the health of rural well owners and local ecosystems.

Roxanne Jorstedt echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of clean water and the potential hazards posed by solar panels, which contain heavy metals that could contaminate water supplies if damaged. She called for the committee to take a moral stand against the solar farm, aligning her views with those of former President Trump, who has criticized renewable energy projects.

Tim Holden and another resident also contributed to the discussion, raising concerns about the feasibility and environmental implications of the solar farm. They questioned the project's long-term viability and the potential for future technological advancements in energy production that could render such projects obsolete.

The meeting concluded with a clear sentiment among many residents that the proposed solar farm poses significant risks to the community's agricultural integrity and environmental health. The committee is expected to deliberate on the public comments and consider the next steps regarding the solar farm proposal in future meetings.