As the result of a rapid transformation to renewable energy production across the U.S., the development of large-scale solar development is newly emerging in communities across the country. Wisconsin communities are no exception to this, and the siting and development of large-scale solar in the state is primarily seen on agricultural lands. As local governments and community residents grapple with how they can be involved in these land use decisions, Extension sees itself as an appropriate convener and educator around the policy and engagement processes for large-scale solar in Wisconsin.
Project Background
From Fall 2023 through Spring 2024, Extension led a research and community engagement effort titled “Community Centered Solar Development Engagement”. This process was carried out to design, execute, and document a process for inclusive, participatory, community-engaged planning for the successful siting of large-scale solar development. Portage County was a pilot community as part of a larger, national research project, Community-Centered Solar Development, with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University. The ultimate goal of this pilot is to contribute to the development of a replicable community engagement process for a national guidebook that planners, Extension educators, and local government officials can use for inclusive participatory planning to improve solar development processes and outcomes for all stakeholders.
Portage county was selected for this pilot process for a few primary reasons:
- At the time of the project, two large-scale solar projects were underway in the county, with one project approved by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC), and the second project proposal not yet submitted to the PSC. Some community friction had been created as a result of these projects; and further, due to the timing of the second project, it was anticipated that there might still be time for community residents to have some input into that project.
- Portage County, due to its suitability for solar as seen in the UW-Stevens Point Center for Land Use Education’s Utility-Scale Solar Suitability Analysis, is likely to be the site of future projects.
- The Portage County Executive requested that UW-Madison Extension address this issue in the County.
Members of the project team engaged with a local advisory committee for guidance and expertise on community context. Through five focus groups and two community conversation events, over 130 individuals from the local area were engaged throughout the course of the project. Despite differing opinions of community members, community conversation attendees engaged in open and civil dialogues with each other, and the entire process was incredibly eye-opening for the Extension project team.
Key Findings and Community Report
Key findings from this process can be found in the executive summary and full report to Portage County, which is now available on the Portage County Extension website. The report not only includes key findings from the engagement process, but also a “Leverage Points for Local Governments and Communities” section which includes resources and examples of different strategies local communities can undertake to influence large-scale solar and energy storage projects. Further, the project team is currently developing an engagement guidebook for Extension educators that they can utilize as they conduct programming and engagement around large-scale solar and energy projects.
