Wisconsin
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin approves Portage County solar farm
At full capacity, the Vista Sands Solar Project is expected to generate enough electricity to power over 200,000 Wisconsin homes.
The Vista Sands Solar Project proposed for Portage County received approval Thursday from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.
The solar project will be the largest of its kind in Wisconsin and among the most powerful in the country, generating nearly 1.3 gigawatts of electricity, a spokesperson for the project said Thursday afternoon in a news release. At full capacity, Vista Sands Solar will generate enough electricity to power over 200,000 Wisconsin homes.
More than half of the project, being built by Doral Renewables, will be in the Portage County town of Grant and most of the rest will be in the town of Plover, with a small section in the village of Plover. The county and communities will receive a total of $6.5 million a year in payments from the project.
“We are thrilled with the approval of the Vista Sands Solar Project by the PSCW,” said Jon Baker, vice president of development at Doral Renewables and project manager for the Vista Sands Solar Project, in the release. “This milestone marks an exciting new chapter for clean energy in Wisconsin.”
Baker went on to say that with years of careful planning and community engagement, approval of the project represents an opportunity for local economies in Portage County and a major step forward for Wisconsin in achieving its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.
The company is leasing the land from the owners, mostly farmers. It gives the farmers the chance to diversify their sources of income. Doral will remain the owner of the project. Once it reaches the end of its lifespan, the company will remove the panels and the land will still belong to the farmers.
Several conservationists and wildlife advocates had raised concerns about the project’s proximity to the Buena Vista Grassland State Wildlife Area, home of the state’s largest population of threatened prairie chickens, calling for one-half and one-mile setbacks between the solar arrays and the prairie chicken booming grounds.
The final Environmental Impact Statement on the project also cited concerns about the proposal’s likely negative impacts to the prairie chickens, even if mitigation suggestions are followed. The Department of Natural Resources and Public Service Commission’s final EIS, released July 15, did not require those benchmarks, however.
Vista Sands Solar says it will not construct any panels within 500 feet of greater prairie chicken booming grounds identified by the Wisconsin DNR, according to the project’s website.
Between 5,700 to 7,900 acres of agricultural lands in the vicinity of the Buena Vista Wildlife Area will be restored to grasslands, according to the project website. Vista Sands Solar’s ecologists have designed a seed mix that will be used across the project area, creating a suitable environment for both native wildlife and solar energy generation, according to the website.
Clean Wisconsin, an organization that works to combat climate change and pollution in the air, water and land, submitted analysis to the Public Service Commission that shows Vista Sands is also likely to have significant water benefits in Portage County, boosting aquifer levels and reducing contamination in the water-depleted Central Sands region. The solar farm is anticipated to take 56 high-capacity wells out of normal operation and will greatly reduce the estimated 3 million pounds of fertilizer and 73,000 gallons of insecticide currently spread across the project area every year, according to Clean Wisconsin.
“Today, the PSC approved the biggest step toward curbing Wisconsin’s carbon emissions in the state’s history,” Katie Nekola, Clean Wisconsin general counsel, said in a news release. “This is significant because Wisconsin cannot meet its carbon reduction goals or contain customer costs without acknowledging and indeed embracing the need to invest in the least-cost, cleanest generation available.”
Vista Sands Solar also was designed to avoid waterways and no impacts to drainage are anticipated in the project area, according to its website.
Doral representatives stated in 2023 they hoped to have the necessary approvals for the project by the end of 2024. It will take about two years to build the project.
Vista Sands Solar will bring a total capital investment of nearly $2 billion and create approximately 500 jobs during construction and about 50 permanent jobs, stimulating local economic activity that will benefit local businesses, according to a spokesperson for the project.
Contact Karen Madden at kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KMadden715, Instagram at @kmadden715 or Facebook at facebook.com/karen.madden.33.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s Hidden Gem State Park Has A Lakeside Beach, Swimming, And 715 Acres To Explore – Islands
While perhaps not one of Wisconsin’s most well-known state parks, a 715-acre park boasts a mile of Lake Michigan beach and a secret lake that was once a limestone quarry. Harrington Beach State Park, situated just 40 minutes north of Milwaukee by car, offers visitors a stellar lakeside destination and a diverse menu of recreational opportunities. From swimming the cool, clear waters of one of the Great Lakes to hiking along one of several nature trails winding through the hardwoods, Harrington Beach State Park offers a little something for everyone. As a bonus, visitors can stand atop a bluff overlooking 26-acre Quarry Lake as a small, seasonal stream flows around their ankles and empties into the lake.
Though it’s not Wisconsin’s Largest State Park, Devil’s Lake, Harrington Beach State Park still offers guests so much to do that it’s likely worth a multi-day visit. Campers headed to the park can choose among 69 campsites in the park’s family campground, 31 of which have electric hookups. The park also offers large groups the opportunity to camp together in its massive group campsite that can accommodate up to 30 visitors and has room for 14 vehicles in its parking lot. One note: the group site does not have electricity. The park, much like Kohler-Andrae State Park — a Lake Michigan paradise with beaches and nature trails – gives visitors lots of options upon arrival, which means park visitors tend to spread out and do what interests them most.
The water is an obvious attraction at Harrington Beach State Park
With more than a mile of Lake Michigan shoreline and the hidden Quarry Lake at the end of a short nature walk through the woods, Harrington Beach State Park’s watery resources are an obvious attraction for visitors. While boating and swimming are allowed on Lake Michigan from the park’s beach, there is no boat launch and there are no boat rentals at the park. Most park guests who want to launch a kayak or a stand-up paddleboard at the park just do so at the beach. Floatation devices are required on every watercraft, and boaters should know that strong winds from the west can push them away from the beach. And, of course, swimmers should be aware of the conditions, too. Even strong swimmers can struggle when the wind whips the lake into a froth, and Lake Michigan is notoriously cold.
For those who want to check out Quarry Lake, know that it’s not a swimming lake. However, for anglers, the old dolomitic limestone quarry is a solid fishery for trout, crappie, bluegills, and panfish. The lake carved out of the limestone bedrock is about 45 feet deep. What’s more, anglers of all ages can borrow fishing equipment from the park office. Fishing is also allowed from the beach or from a watercraft on Lake Michigan. Anglers should know the rules and have the proper licenses before heading out for a day of fishing. Wisconsin has a lively fishing history, as it’s home to the national Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and is the birthplace of the “world’s largest musky,” which stands sentinel outside the museum in northwest Wisconsin.
Take a hike or a ride and enjoy Wisconsin’s scenic assets
For nature lovers and wildlife watchers, Harrington Beach State Park has 7 miles of trails winding through the woods and along the waters. Hikers and strollers alike have several options, and most of them are short and easy hikes. For instance, the mile-long Bobolink Loop Trail offers a leisurely hike through the marshes in the park and takes hikers past Puckett’s Pond picnic area, which is a great place to take a break and enjoy the scenery. The Lakeview Trail parallels Lake Michigan for eight-tenths of a mile before cutting inland and offering a view of Quarry Lake. And, of course, there’s the Quarry Lake Trail that circles the whole lake and is just a mile long, making for a great family stroll through the woods.
For cyclists, bikes are allowed on all of Harrington Beach State Park’s trails except for Quarry Lake Trail and White Cedar Nature Trail, which are for hikers only. The most popular biking path in the park is the Service Road Trail — it’s paved and winds through the woods along the park’s eastern edge, with connections to the park’s campsite. The park is also close to a much larger trail system: the Ozaukee County Interurban Trail, which includes 30 miles of bike paths that go all the way to Milwaukee County, allowing you to see more of Wisconsin. No matter what brings visitors to Harrington Beach State Park, there’s plenty to keep them busy. And, with its proximity to Milwaukee and beautiful campgrounds, it’s a great little secret retreat from the city.
MADISON, Wis. (WSAW) – Gov. Tony Evers has declared an energy emergency in the state of Wisconsin.
Executive Order #282 relates to persistent challenges caused by a pipeline disruption within the Midwestern pipeline distribution system, coupled with high demand from severe winter weather for residential heating fuel, including heating oil and propane.
The order will allow for the swift and efficient delivery of these products throughout the state.
“The health, welfare, and safety of our neighbors depend on access to fuel for home heating, so I’m declaring this energy emergency to ensure folks and families across our state have the fuel they need to stay warm and safe,” said Gov. Evers.
According to the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin’s Office of Energy Innovation, multiple suppliers report challenges such as long lines at terminals and having to drive further distances to collect needed products.
Executive Order #282 will provide a waiver of certain state and federal hours of service restrictions, allowing suppliers to get caught up from the pipeline and weather-related delays.
The waiver remains in effect through January 2, or as long as drivers transporting residential heating fuel are responding to the emergency, whichever is shorter.
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Tony Evers signs Wisconsin legislative maps ending GOP gerrymander
Republicans in Wisconsin have enjoyed lopsided majorities in the Legislature under gerrymandered maps drawn in 2011.
MADISON – Assembly Minority Leader Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, said she supports redrawing Wisconsin’s congressional maps, a matter currently before the state Supreme Court.
Neubauer’s comments came the day after former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, a Democratic candidate for governor, similarly signaled his support.
“I think that the current congressional maps are gerrymandered. Everyone knows that Wisconsin’s a purple state. It should be about 50-50. We’ve got six Republican congresspeople and two Democratic congresspeople,” Neubauer told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an end-of-year interview covering a variety of topics. “So I think that these maps are not fair, and I do hope that they will consider whether new maps should be drawn.”
Last week, the state Supreme Court’s liberal majority appointed two three-judge panels to hear lawsuits from liberal groups challenging Wisconsin’s congressional lines before the 2026 elections.
President Donald Trump earlier this year pushed Republican-leaning states to redraw their congressional maps in order to add GOP-held seats in the U.S. House. The effort prompted some Democratic-leaning states to embark on their own efforts to add blue seats.
Wisconsin, where partisan control is divided between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and a Republican-led Legislature, has not followed suit.
Evers, in a September interview with the Journal Sentinel, said it would be a mistake for Wisconsin to engage in the partisan arms race of attempting new congressional maps. Not only would it be “bad politics” for Democrats, he said at the time, he also didn’t think the party could pick up enough seats to make a difference.
The state’s current congressional lines were drawn by Evers. The state Supreme Court approved his set of maps in 2022 because it made the fewest changes compared to ones submitted by Republicans and others.
Conservative justices on the state’s high court strongly objected to the recent orders sending the lawsuits to three-judge panels, noting that the court has previously rejected challenges to Wisconsin’s congressional districts.
In its Nov. 25 orders, the liberal-led court concluded the two complaints constitute “an action to challenge the apportionment of any congressional or state legislative district” under a 2011 state law that requires such challenges to be heard by a panel appointed by the state’s high court.
Jessie Opoien can be reached at jessie.opoien@jrn.com.
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