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Advisory board approves resolution urging negotiation for Briggs Avenue solar site and regional pairing
Summary
The City-County Advisory Board voted 9-0 on July 6 to encourage the City of Milwaukee to negotiate a lease for a Briggs Avenue solar site (6601 W. Briggs Ave.) and to seek an additional regional site to pair urban visibility with rural volume, citing federal tax-credit timing and local-worker goals.
The City-County Advisory Board on Climate and Economic Equity voted unanimously July 6 to adopt an advisory-board resolution urging the City of Milwaukee to negotiate a lease with a solar developer for the Briggs Avenue property at 6601 West Briggs Avenue and to pursue additional sites within the surrounding seven-county area. The motion to approve the advisory-board resolution passed by roll call, 9 ayes to 0 noes.
Director Eric Schamburger described the measure as a two-pronged approach: secure a visible city site where residents can observe a project while pairing it with a larger suburban or rural site to achieve scale. "My desire would be to go with both so we can get, you know, more power sooner," he said, noting the city's interest in meeting resident-preference goals and in ensuring local benefits. The board discussed trade-offs including transmission loss, site development costs and local-worker compliance under the renewable pathways tariff.
The resolution asks the city to negotiate for an exclusive right to negotiate a lease with a solar subcontractor for the Briggs Avenue parcel and encourages subscription to additional solar capacity within the regional area to power municipal operations. Schamburger flagged time sensitivity tied to federal tax credits that expire at the end of next year and said the city hopes to move one project forward in the fourth quarter to preserve tax credit eligibility.
Board members confirmed the advisory language does not obligate simultaneous approval of both sites; the Briggs Avenue negotiation would be an initial step and each site would return for subsequent public review. The city council would first vote to authorize negotiation and later to approve any final lease or sale; public comment opportunities on the Briggs Avenue proposal were expected in September or October, after the council's August recess.
Next steps: the advisory-board-approved resolution will accompany the city's outreach and, according to Schamburger, be shared with the Common Council as the administration advances negotiated terms and environmental reviews.
