The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.
Picture a Wisconsin where family farms don’t just scrape by, but prosper. Where small towns grow with new jobs. Where local leaders decide how their communities are powered. And where utility bills go down instead of climbing higher every year.
Now contrast that vision with today’s reality: a system where big utilities and far-off regulators in Madison call all the shots, while families foot the bill. That’s the status quo—and its far past time we changed it.
Data centers are demanding more and more energy. Utility bills are squeezing household budgets. Our grid is already at capacity. Yet the decision-making power remains concentrated in the hands of a few monopoly utilities and the Public Service Commission, which too often rubber-stamps their plans. Local voices? Shut out.
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That’s why we are proposing legislation that flips the script by opening the door for community solar in Wisconsin. Here’s how it works:
- Communities get real input and control over where the projects are sited by requiring a ⅔ majority vote from the local zoning authority.
- Farmers can lease small, unused parts of their land for small scale solar projects, e.g. a 10-20 acre corner that isn’t great for crops.
- Residents can subscribe to locally generated clean power and see credits directly on their utility bills without the cost of installing panels on their own roofs. These bills are guaranteed to be lower than the alternative option with the utility.
These aren’t sprawling, corporate-run solar farms taking up thousands of acres. Community solar projects are smaller, smarter, and locally driven. They create new income streams for farmers, stable savings for families, and homegrown jobs in construction and clean energy.
And let’s be clear: this isn’t about subsidies. It’s about cutting red tape, breaking up outdated monopolies, and letting competition drive innovation, lower costs, and expand choice. Community solar is an option like none we have experienced before; it is decentralized, flexible, and ready to power Wisconsin’s future.
The result? Stronger family farms. More resilient small businesses and nonprofits. Lower bills. Local jobs. Cleaner energy on the grid. That’s the Wisconsin we could be building.
Of course, the big utilities aren’t eager to share their power. They’re fighting hard to keep things just the way they are. But change always meets resistance, especially when it threatens entrenched interests.
We believe in Wisconsin’s communities, and we believe they’re ready to take back control of their financial future.
– Testin, R-Stevens Point, represents the 24th Senate District.
– Krug, R-Rome, represents the 72nd Assembly District.
