Madison, WI – Yesterday, regulators approved construction of the 300-megawatt (MW) Koshkonong Solar Energy Center. This solar project will provide enough emission-free electricity to power 60,000 Wisconsin homes and will be one of Wisconsin’s largest solar plus storage projects.

The Koshkonong Solar Energy Center will be located in southeast Dane County. The project will include a 300-megawatt solar power generation facility and a 165-megawatt battery storage component to help bolster grid reliability. WEC Energy Group and Madison Gas and Electric intend to buy the plant for $649 million.

“This project accelerates the local transition to clean energy,” said Heather Allen, Executive Director at RENEW Wisconsin. “With enough capacity to provide one-quarter of the local solar needed to meet Dane County’s Climate Action Plan, Koshkonong’s approval is a major milestone in the transition to energy independence for the region.”

The project is being developed by Invenergy LLC and will generate $1.2 million per year in new revenue for local governments, in addition to payments to local landowners. Construction is expected to begin later this year and will likely become operational in 2025.

“The energy storage component of the project will provide 660-megawatt hours of energy storage capacity, or approximately the equivalent battery storage capacity of 6,000 electric vehicles,” added Allen. “Battery energy storage adds more flexibility to the project, allowing for energy use when it is needed most.”

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