Barron County board hears Maple Grove Solar presentation, approves related zoning and emergency-response measures

Barron County supervisors on Aug. 18 heard a presentation from IBV Energy Partners on the proposed Maple Grove Solar project and approved three related items: a zoning change for property in the Town of Almena, a joint developers agreement (JDA) and emergency-response plans for the project and the county.

IBV Energy Partners co-founder and business development lead Robin Siz told the board the project is planned as about 228 megawatts of solar plus battery storage and is being built in two phases. "The first phase is a 148 megawatts," Siz said, and a second phase would add roughly 80 megawatts of solar and 50 megawatts of battery storage. Siz said the site covers a little over 1,500 acres and involves seven primary landowners. He told supervisors his company received a final CPCN decision in March 2025 and is targeting construction start in the first or second quarter of 2026, with commercial operation (COD) targets around 2027.

Why it matters: The project carries multi-million-dollar local economic effects during construction and recurring payments once operational. Siz told the board the company estimates more than $300 million in capital expenditures for the full project, about $23 million in local construction spending, and recurring shared-revenue payments under Wisconsin law that he said would amount to about $563,000 annually to the Town of Maple Grove and about $736,000 annually to Barron County. Siz also said the company intends a $52,000 annual pledge to the Barron Area School District for the first 20 years of operation.

Key technical and safety details: Siz said the project will include a 1.78-mile transmission line from a collector substation on the project site to the Barron Substation and that the interconnection studied with MISO is a 161 kV line. He described equipment life expectancy for panels and racking at roughly 35 years and said panel manufacturers guarantee a typical degradation rate "point four percent a year". Asked by a supervisor about hail or other damage, Siz said such losses would be handled as insurance claims and that the company maintains spare panels on site for replacements.

Local emergency-response planning drew detailed questions. A fire official identified in the meeting as Mike described a dry hydrant during public Q&A: "A dry hydrant ... is an identified water source, like a stream or a small river, that we can put basically an empty tube down into and then hook a suction unit to the top of it and then pull the water ... up through the hydrant into the engine," he said. Siz and county officials also said the JDA and the project's Emergency Response Plan (ERP) include on-site training: preconstruction training 30 days before work starts, a training session 60 days after COD and another at one year.

Board actions and votes: The board approved the zoning ordinance amendment for property in the Town of Almena related to the project on a voice vote recorded as 27 yes, 2 absent. For the JDA and dismissal of related court action (resolution), a motion by Supervisor Heller, seconded by Supervisor Cook, passed on a recorded vote of 26 yes, 1 abstain and 2 absent (the transcript did not consistently identify the abstaining member for that motion). The resolution approving the emergency-response plans passed on a recorded vote of 25 yes, 1 no and 1 abstention, with 2 absent; the meeting record identified the no vote as Supervisor Gors and the abstention as Supervisor Skuslik.

Questions from supervisors: Board members asked about panel performance, site elevation, panel mounting height and post-construction land use. Siz said the panels will be mounted on single-axis trackers with a minimum clearance of about 24 inches at the lowest tilt, and that the ground between rows will be seeded for erosion control. On post-construction land use and operations, Siz described agrivoltaics as one potential compatible use and said local contractors could perform many of the civil and installation tasks during construction. He added that the project expects roughly three permanent on-site jobs once commercial operation begins.

What—s next: With zoning, the JDA and the ERP approved by the county board, IBV Energy Partners said it plans to proceed toward construction pending equipment deliveries and the remaining interconnection and permitting steps. The company and county officials emphasized continuing coordination on emergency training and local contractor engagement.

Sources and attribution: Direct quotes and project details come from IBV Energy Partners co-founder Robin Siz and from a county fire official identified as Mike during the board meeting presentation and public comment. Vote tallies and motion makers are taken from the board's meeting record for Aug. 18, 2025.