Public Service Commission approves Maple Grove Solar certificate with conditions

The Public Service Commission voted Thursday to grant Maple Grove Solar a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) for a solar electric generation facility, an accompanying 50 megawatt DC battery energy storage system and a generator tie line in Barron County, conditional on several standard and project‑specific requirements.

Commissioner Nieto, who led the discussion, said the project would have a nameplate generation capacity “of up to 259.6 megawatts AC” and that it would “connect up to 228 megawatts AC to the electrical grid.” She described a 50 megawatt DC battery system and said the project would require a “1.7 mile 161 kV gen tie line” to connect to the Barron substation. Commissioner Nieto said, “I found that the project meets all of the statutory requirements and will be voting to approve the project today.”

Why it matters: Commissioners and intervenors said the project represents a sizable addition to Wisconsin’s renewable generation and could deliver local economic benefits. Commissioner Nieto noted interveners Renew and Clean Wisconsin supported the project and said it would represent about a 6% increase in the state’s overall solar generation capacity. She also cited witness estimates that the project…