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UW–Madison Extension outlines Vernon County findings on large-scale solar siting
Summary
UW–Madison Extension presented RESET engagement results showing 200+ Vernon County public comments on large-scale solar; the report lists benefits and widespread concerns and urges counties without zoning to adopt permitting, lease-education and planning measures.
Jesse of UW–Madison Extension presented the RESET community engagement report and said the outreach gathered over 200 comments from Vernon County residents, including 74 perceived benefits, 95 concerns and 63 questions. He said the work combined focus groups with landowners, conservation leaders, local government and economic-development groups and culminated in a full report and an executive summary distributed to committee members.
The presentation emphasized that Vernon County currently lacks countywide zoning authority, limiting the options available when a developer proposes a utility-scale solar or wind project. Jesse outlined practical local steps that officials can take, including adopting a permitting ordinance, updating the comprehensive plan to address large-scale renewable siting, educating landowners about lease agreements, and negotiating community benefits with developers. He warned that technical issues — notably subsidence on capped landfills and decommissioning requirements — require contractual protections. "We got over 200 comments from Vernon County residents," Jesse said, summarizing the level of community input. He also noted a common state-level incentive: utility aid at about "$5,000 per megawatt of installed capacity," and clarified that eminent domain applies to transmission lines, not to placing panels on private property.
Why this matters: the committee agreed the report is timely as interest in projects increases across Wisconsin. Committee members asked about brownfields and capped landfill sites as potential host locations; Jesse said those are viable but require engineering review and utility willingness to interconnect. The committee asked the presenter to appear before the full county board for a fuller briefing; staff indicated that July 16 had been suggested for that presentation.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 084 ("So we're at the minutes part... Now we're looking for a presentation for renewable energy siting...") topfinish SEG 555 ("Thanks, everybody."), evidence spans included in the meeting record.
