State Republicans Introduce Bill Giving Access to Community Solar Projects

Thursday, March 23rd, 2023 -- 12:01 PM

(By Joe Schulz, Wisconsin Public Radio) Republicans in the state Legislature announced plans Tuesday to introduce a bill that would let Wisconsinites access community solar projects from developers that are not utilities.

But, according to Joe Schulz with Wisconsin Public Radio, the state’s utilities argue the bill would give solar developers free access to the state’s energy grid at no risk, while shifting costs to utility customers.

According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, community solar, also called shared solar or solar gardens, allows customers to buy or lease part of a larger, off-site shared solar system.

In Wisconsin, regulated utilities and cooperatives are the only entities allowed to provide energy to customers from solar gardens, according to RENEW Wisconsin, a nonprofit that promotes renewable energy.

Andrew Kell, policy director for RENEW, said community solar is especially beneficial for people who don't own their home or business' location, or can’t utilize solar on their homes due to shade or other factors.

"They can definitely leverage community solar programs to access offsite solar power, to help reduce their bills and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time," he said. This is the second time GOP lawmakers have introduced a community solar bill in recent years.

A previous version of the bill was introduced in 2021, but died in committee and faced opposition from Wisconsin utilities.

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