Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Marshfield Utilities outlines four-site solar portfolio, estimates 16.5 MW and 30‑year power contract
Loading...
Summary
Marshfield Utilities and 1 Energy Renewables presented a behind‑the‑meter solar portfolio of four sites that the utility owns, estimating about 16.5 MW nameplate (roughly 33 million kWh/year, ~10% of current annual demand) and a 30‑year power purchase arrangement intended to stabilize customer rates.
Marshfield Utilities and developer 1 Energy Renewables presented plans April 28 to place solar arrays on four utility‑owned parcels around the city, saying the portfolio would produce about 16.5 megawatts of nameplate capacity and roughly 33,000,000 kilowatt‑hours annually.
The proposed sites — described by Marshfield Utilities as “Marshfield 1,” “Marshfield 2,” the quarry (Marshfield 3) and a site at Highway T and Y — would be connected directly to the utility’s distribution system and placed on land the utility already owns, Marshfield Utilities General Manager Nicholas Kum said. “All the land is already owned by the utility,” Kum said. “The power is gonna flow right from the solar panels through the inverter, the transformer, and the related equipment back into our grid.”
The utility and 1 Energy emphasized that the portfolio approach lowers costs through scale. Beth Esher, director of project development at 1 Energy Renewables, said the company uses bifacial panels with single‑axis tracking to increase production and improve economics: “The bifacial panels and the single‑axis tracking has increased production of projects in the realm of 20%, which has just made these projects more economical for utilities to pursue them,” Esher said.
Why it matters: staff said the package is intended to give Marshfield a locked‑in, long‑term supply that reduces exposure to volatile fossil‑fuel markets. Kum said the projects would be part of a 30‑year power purchase structure intended to provide a long‑term rate hedge: “If we can lock in today at a rate that’s competitive for the next 30 years, that’s a good 30‑year hedge that’s gonna help provide stability to our customer base.”
Key technical and community points: the presenters described an interconnection strategy that favors sites near existing substations and three‑phase distribution lines; on‑site equipment (inverters and transformers) will be placed on skids and secured by steel piles that the developer said can be removed when the project is decommissioned. 1 Energy also proposed planting native pollinator prairie at sites and offering educational tours to local schools and workforce programs. Esher said the company commits in lease agreements to remove equipment within one year if a site ceases production.
Permitting and timeline: presenters said wetlands delineations, soil testing and permitting remain outstanding. The team plans to file stormwater and erosion control permits with Wisconsin DNR and expects some permit applications to be submitted in the next one to two weeks; construction windows for individual sites were estimated at roughly four to six months. Marshfield Utilities and Great Lakes Utilities (the joint action agency coordinating members) will continue negotiations on finance and power‑purchase terms.
Community impacts and mitigations: presenters acknowledged construction traffic at the start of builds (dump trucks and heavy equipment) but said post‑construction traffic is minimal (one to two site visits per month). They said fencing is required by electrical code and will be designed to be wildlife friendly; in response to council questions, 1 Energy said panels can be oriented vertically to reduce hail damage and that established recyclers are available for potential panel replacement or decommissioning.
Next steps: Marshfield Utilities staff said they will proceed with site testing, wetlands work and permit filings and will hold pre‑meeting briefings with affected townships as part of the review process.
