Local News
Solar gardens going like hotcakes in western Wisconsin
Two arrays 95 percent subscribed
Plenty of love, apparently, for solar power in western Wisconsin.
Two recently planned Xcel Energy solar garden arrays are 95 percent subscribed to, according to Xcel’s Chris Ouellette.
And the subscribers are quite a mix.
“We have schools, counties, cities, and we also have private businesses that are also subscribing to it,” Ouellette said. “And, one thing we’re hearing from a lot of them, is this has been a great opportunity for them to obtain their sustainability goals.”
Ouellette says residential subscribers to the solar generators outnumber businesses by 3 to 1. Basically, subscribers buy a panel and get a credit on their monthly bill for the energy produced.
The two, one-megawatt arrays should be complete and operational by the first quarter of 2017.
One is in Eau Claire, Wis., the other in the La Crosse area, though that one is still awaiting construction permits.