Wisconsin

Public Service Commission of Wisconsin approves Portage County solar farm

Published

1 year ago

December 12, 2024

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.

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Wisconsin

Wisconsin bill stirs issue of parental voice, trans youth autonomy

Published

53 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Wisconsin bill stirs issue of parental voice, trans youth autonomy

A Republican-authored bill would require Wisconsin school boards to adopt a policy that would inform a parent or guardian if a student requests to be called by names and pronouns not aligned with their gender assigned at birth.

The bill would require legal documentation, parental approval and a principal to approve changes to a student’s name and pronouns. The bill makes exceptions for nicknames or students going by their middle names.

Although the bill has no chance of being signed into law by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, it reflects the continuing political energy of two issues: parental authority in schools, and the treatment of trans youths.

Notably, hundreds of trans-related bills were introduced at multiple levels of government across the country in the last year.

The lawmakers who introduced the bill, Rep. Barbara Dittrich (R-Oconomowoc) and state Sen. Andre Jacque (R-Franken), said it is about parental rights and transparency. At a Capitol public hearing Jan. 6, Jacque cited a ruling from October 2023 in which a Waukesha judge sided with parents who sued the Kettle Moraine School District after staff at the middle school used a child’s chosen name and pronouns. The parents did not support their child’s transition.

But the Senate Committee on Education hearing grew heated as LGBTQ+ youth, parents of transgender children, Democratic lawmakers and other advocates called the bill unnecessary and potentially violence-inducing. They said it makes life worse for a vulnerable population that makes up less than 1% of Wisconsin pupils.

Jacque argued that without the bill, educators can make decisions about children’s health and well-being in secrecy.

“Hiding from us important things that are going on in their lives is not only disrespectful to parents, it is harmful to our children and deliberately sabotaging the ability for vital communication to take place,” Jacque said.

Sen. Sarah Keyeski (D-Lodi) questioned why the Legislature should be involved when school boards already have the ability to approve such policies.

“I think it’s interesting how much you lean on local control for certain things, but then all of a sudden, you want government control,” she said.

Abigail Swetz, executive director of Fair Wisconsin, said such a bill would prevent educators from “engaging in the best practice” for using names and pronouns. Swetz, a former middle school teacher who advised a Gender and Sexuality Alliance club, said she’s seen firsthand the positive impact of affirming trans and nonbinary students.

“The mental health struggles that trans youth face are not a self-fulfilling prophecy. They’re entirely pressured outcomes, and bills like SB120 add to that pressure,” Swetz said.

Jenna Gormal, the public policy director at End Abuse Wisconsin, said forcing students to come out to parents before they’re ready reinforces power and control while stripping students of their autonomy.

Alison Selje, who uses they/them pronouns, spoke of the seismic shift in their well-being and academic performance when someone used their correct pronouns. Selje was a student at Madison West High School at the time. The Madison Metropolitan School District has a policy – which has survived a court challenge – protecting the use of names and pronouns of trans students.

“I remember the first time I heard someone use the right pronoun for me. This was during the pandemic so I was still wearing a mask, but underneath it, I was smiling ear to ear,” Selje said. “The use of my pronouns was a confidence boost, but it was also a lifesaver.”

Support for the bill came from two women representing Moms for Liberty. Laura Ackman and Amber Infusimo shared stories of parents finding out about their children’s new gender identity through school playbills and yearbooks.

“This bill rightly affirms schools shouldn’t be making significant decisions without parental knowledge or involvement,” Ackman said. “It does not prevent kindness, respect or compassion.”

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Wisconsin

3 takeaways as Wisconsin Badgers ‘showed some fight’ in win over UCLA

Published

13 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

3 takeaways as Wisconsin Badgers ‘showed some fight’ in win over UCLA

The Wisconsin Badgers defeated UCLA 80-72, with a balanced scoring attack. Nick Boyd led the team with 20 points.
Wisconsin showed improvement with its 3-point shooting and halfcourt defense against the Bruins.
The game concluded with a flagrant foul on Wisconsin’s Nolan Winter and offsetting technical fouls.

MADISON – Wisconsin men’s basketball got the palette-cleanser it needed.

After losing to its last three high-major opponents by double-digit margins, the Badgers enjoyed a double-digit lead for almost the entire game en route to an 80-72 win over UCLA on Jan. 6 at the Kohl Center.

“The thing I like about tonight is we showed some fight and some togetherness and some heart,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said after the game. “And it wasn’t perfect, but when you have heart and you have fight, you always have a chance. … We were physically and emotionally engaged and after it.”

BOX SCORE: Wisconsin 80, UCLA 72

Wisconsin boasted a balanced scoring attack. Nick Boyd had a team-high 20 points, followed closely by Nolan Winter with 18 and John Blackwell with 17. Andrew Rohde also had 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting.

UCLA, meanwhile, relied on 18 points from Eric Dailey Jr. and 16 points from Tyler Bilodeau while the Bruins were playing without standout guard Skyy Clark.

Here are three takeaways from the win:

Badgers benefit from far superior 3-point shooting

One of the many what-ifs from Wisconsin’s 16-point loss to then-No. 6 Purdue was its 3-point shooting. UW went a mere 4 of 25 against the Boilermakers, marking its second consecutive game with sub-20% perimeter shooting.

The Badgers’ Jan. 6 win over UCLA was a much different story, as they made more 3-pointers in the first nine minutes against the Bruins than they did in all 40 minutes against Purdue.

UW finished the game with 33% shooting, going 10 of 30. But the perimeter shooting was more of a difference-maker than one might surmise from glancing through the final box score.

The early 3-pointers helped the Badgers claim 16-4, 28-9 and 38-19 leads throughout the first half – a sizeable enough cushion to withstand UCLA’s 14-4 run in the second half without the outcome ever seeming in serious jeopardy.

“When you see your teammates shoot with confidence and you see see them go in a few times, then it’s contagious,” Blackwell said. “It rubs off on others to make other shots and just be aggressive.”

Gard similarly said the improved 3-point shooting “creates energy.”

“As much as you try to say, ‘Don’t get emotionally attached to your shot going in or not,’ I thought we got good looks,” Gard said. “We knocked them down. We took the right ones. And that energizes both ends of the floor.”

Meanwhile, UCLA – ranking 16th in the NCAA in 3-point shooting at 38.6% ahead of the Jan. 6 game – had uncharacteristically lackluster shooting from deep, missing its first 14 3-point attempts and ultimately going 1 of 17. The Bruins’ lack of Clark – a 49.3% 3-point shooter – surely played a factor in that.

Wisconsin shows improvements, imperfections in halfcourt defense

As much as Wisconsin’s improved 3-point shooting captured the spotlight, the Badgers’ improved halfcourt defense also was instrumental in the Badgers enjoying a double-digit lead for much of the game.

“We were connected,” Gard said. “We were energetic. We were physical. We were covering for each other. We had each other’s back.”

UCLA averaged .969 points per possession in the first half, and the Bruins did not score outside of fastbreak opportunities until the 13:23 mark in the half.

UCLA was better in the second half, but even then, its 1.029 points per possession over the course of the entire game was the fewest allowed by UW to a high-major since holding Marquette to exactly one point per possession on Dec. 6.

“Our communication was really high-level,” Winter said. “These last two days of practice probably have been some of our best practices all year from a communication standpoint and a defensive standpoint.”

That’s not to say Wisconsin’s defense was perfect against the Bruins, however. UCLA made six straight shots at one point in the second half, and Gard picked out a few other issues with UW’s halfcourt defense.

“We had a couple ball-screen mistakes – one we hedged way too far, one we didn’t hedge at all,” Gard said. “Other than that, I thought we were pretty solid, and a lot of good things to build upon. We’ll have to continue to get better on that end of the floor.”

What happened with Nolan Winter’s flagrant foul, Nick Boyd’s technical foul

The Wisconsin-UCLA game ended with some drama as the officiating crew handed out a Flagrant 1 and offsetting technical fouls.

Winter received the flagrant foul after a somewhat of a hard foul on Eric Dailey Jr. as the UCLA forward attempted a layup.

“Yeah, it was a hard foul,” Winter said of his flagrant. “I didn’t really mean to get a flagrant, obviously, but I didn’t want to give him any free points, especially at the end of the game. … We played to the whistle.”

Gard pointed out that UCLA was “pressing us until the very end,” too.

After Winter’s foul, Dailey appeared to give Winter a light shove. Boyd and others ran to Winter’s defense, and Boyd made contact with Dailey. Boyd and Dailey received offsetting deadball technical fouls after replay review.

Boyd saw Dailey “push my guy,” he said after the game.

“Over these last couple weeks, man, we’ve just been getting pushed around too much,” Boyd said. “So I just had to have his back. That’s the mentality we’re carrying with us the rest of the year. We get pushed. We’re stepping right back up.”

UCLA coach Mick Cronin, unlike many of his peers this season, did not hold a postgame press conference at the Kohl Center. So Gard was the only coach in a position to share his thoughts on what transpired.

Gard’s thoughts were shaped by other officiating decisions that he did not want to specifically identify.

“I’m not going to get into refereeing, and those guys got a really hard job,” Gard said. “But there was some actions on the other end that if they get them under control, then that never happens because the play would have been whistled dead. … I’ll deal with that with the league in terms of we should have never gotten to that based on some other stuff.”

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Wisconsin

Blake Cherry commits to Wisconsin, reunites with OL coach Eric Mateos

Published

1 day ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Blake Cherry commits to Wisconsin, reunites with OL coach Eric Mateos

MADISON – When it comes to grabbing offensive linemen in the transfer portal, Wisconsin is going with what it knows.

Blake Cherry is the latest example.

The rising sophomore guard, who announced his commitment to the Badgers on Tuesday, Jan. 6, played for new UW offensive line coach Eric Mateos at Arkansas.

Cherry announced his commitment on X. He joins former Oklahoma State center Austin Kawecki, who was recruited by Mateos when Mateos was at Baylor, as the first two offensive line pickups for Wisconsin during this portal cycle.

Cherry, who was listed as 6-foot-5 and 316 pounds, played in 11 games at Arkansas in 2025 with the bulk of the work coming on special teams. He was the top backup to second team all-SEC selection Fernando Carmona.

Cherry was a three-star prospect coming out of Owasso High School in Oklahoma. He joins an offensive line room that underperformed in 2025 but featured some promising young players like tackle Emerson Mandell and guard Colin Cubberly, who will be a redshirt sophomore next season.

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