The Closed Landfill Solar Project - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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In 2020, the Common Council in Milwaukee approved a project that will transform eight acres of land on part of a city-owned, closed landfill near Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport into a 2.25-megawatt (MW) solar array. The project, which will be part of We Energies’ Solar Now pilot program, will be the largest solar panel project in the city’s history. As a part of a 20-year lease, We Energies will construct and operate the solar installation on the city-owned site capable of powering over 450 homes, at no cost to city taxpayers. The utility firm will make lease payments of approximately $100,000 annually based on the power generated and other regulatory factors. In the first year of the deal, We Energies would pay the city for a 50 percent Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) solar accreditation level. In subsequent years, the percentage would fluctuate based upon the measured amount of sunlight as determined by MISO. We Energies will maintain ownership of the electricity generated and feed it into the grid while the city claims the renewable energy certificates associated with the array, allowing it to be the sole entity able to claim the solar power. The project will include more than 7,000 panels powering at least 460 homes and will coincide with the city’s goal of obtaining 25 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2025. SunVest Solar Inc. of Pewaukee will build the solar array with Trina solar providing the 72-cell solar panels.

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