Prep work continues on proposed solar farm

Behind-the-scenes work continues for the proposed solar farm in Shawano County, according to an official with National Grid Renewables.

Mike Rosenow, solar and storage project developer with the Bloomington, Minnesota-based company, told the Shawano County Public Property Committee on Sept. 12 the next step is determining the interconnection costs.

“That’s going to be the big one,” he said.

If those costs are the same or less than 10% more than originally estimated, they will move on to the next phase and submit the plans to the Mid-continent Independent System Operator (MISO), the electric grid operator for the central United States.

The proposed solar farm, expected to use between 300 and 500 acres of the 630-acre county farm property, is projected to produce up to 50 megawatts of solar energy and potentially provide the county with more than $8 million in revenue over the course of the lease.

The original lease, agreed to in January 2021, was set up for up to five years of development, two years of construction and an extended term of 25 years, and there is an option for three extensions that could extend the lease up to 30 additional years.

“If DPP2 (definitive planning phase) goes according to plan, which it should, you guys will probably be negotiating for an extension in your contract,” Rosenow said.

Under the current lease, the county would receive $825 per acre during construction and could generate about $8 million on 300 acres.

Rosenow also said the county can safely rent out the farm to a local farmer for 2025 without worry.

“When they go through and if you guys put that in, who absorbs all the costs that they’re showing in there, like for the substations, the lines will be potentially have to be rebuilt?” said Supervisor Tom Kautza. “That’s quite a chunk of change.”

Rosenow said his company pays those costs. An ongoing project in Portage County is seeing $8.8 million in interconnection costs, he said.

Later in the meeting, Kautza said it’s a good thing it has taken National Grid this long to work through its plans, as it will allow for a new contract that will be more beneficial to the county.

The county is also reimbursed from the state for having a power generating facility, and those payments increase if the output tops 50 megawatts.

kpasson@newmedia-wi.com