MGE Solar Projects

We're growing our use of solar energy to advance our renewable energy and carbon reduction goals.

Tyto Solar

MGE's Tyto Solar, a 6-megawatt (MW) solar project in Fitchburg, Wis., came online in early 2024. Like MGE's other Madison-area renewable energy projects, Tyto is a distributed energy resource that is connected to our distribution system. It serves all MGE electric customers with locally generated, carbon-free energy. Tyto is expected to generate enough electricity to power about 1,400 households each year.

Badger Hollow and Two Creeks Solar Farms

In May 2018, MGE announced plans to build two large solar farms in partnership with WEC. In April 2019, state regulators approved the projects. 

• Badger Hollow Solar Farm is a 300-MW renewable energy facility located near the communities of Montfort and Cobb in Iowa County, Wisconsin. With more than 800,000 solar panels, it's the largest solar project in Wisconsin history. Badger Hollow came online in two 150-MW phases. The second phase came online in December 2023. The facility’s first phase came online in December 2021. Badger Hollow's 300-MW generating capacity is equal to powering about 90,000 homes.
  
  We Energies and MGE jointly own the second phase of the Badger Hollow Solar Farm. MGE owns 50 MW. We Energies owns 100 MW of the facility's capacity. WPS, another subsidiary of WEC Energy Group, owns 100 MW of the first phase. MGE owns the other 50 MW.

• Two Creeks Solar Farm is located in the Town of Two Creeks and the City of Two Rivers in northeastern Wisconsin. MGE's ownership share is 50 MW of its 150-MW output. Two Creeks became operational in November 2020.

Dane County Airport Solar

MGE partnered with Dane County to construct 10 MW of solar on County-owned land adjacent to Dane County Regional Airport. This project was built under MGE’s new Renewable Energy Rider, an innovative model that gives large energy users and MGE the opportunity to partner to tailor a renewable energy solution to meet the customer's needs. Energy from the solar project serves the County. The array began delivering locally generated, sustainable energy in December 2020.

O'Brien Solar Fields

The 22-MW O'Brien Solar Fields, located in Fitchburg at Lacy Road and South Seminole Highway, delivers locally generated solar energy to large energy users through Renewable Energy Rider agreements. The solar array began generating electricity in spring 2021 to become the largest solar project in Dane County.

Hermsdorf Solar Fields

MGE partnered with the City of Madison and the Madison Metropolitan School District to construct an 8-MW solar array north of Dane County's Rodefeld Landfill in southeast Madison. The array includes nearly 30,000 solar panels and covers 53 acres of land. The City is served by 5 MW of the output and MMSD is served by 3 MW of the output under separate Renewable Energy Rider agreements with MGE. 

Strix Solar

Construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2024 on Strix Solar, a 6-MW solar facility in Fitchburg. Located on about 30 acres at the corner of Byrne Road and Syene Road, the Strix Solar project is being developed by OneEnergy Renewables. The project is expected to begin serving customers by the end of 2024. In a filing with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, MGE requested that 2 MW of the output from Strix Solar serve the proposed Shared Solar II program. The remaining 4-MW will be a distributed energy resource that is connected to MGE's distribution system. It is expected to generate enough electricity to power about 1,400 households each year. 

High Noon Solar Energy Center

MGE, in partnership with We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS), subsidiaries of WEC Energy Group (WEC), is seeking approval to purchase a share of the energy generated by the High Noon Solar Energy Center. The 300-MW solar array will be located on about 2,100 acres in Columbia County. If the purchase is approved, MGE's ownership share will be 30-MW of solar energy. The entire project is expected to generate enough energy to serve about 90,000 households. MGE's share of the project would serve about 9,000 households. The High Noon Solar Energy Center is expected to start serving customers by the end of 2026. 

Paris Solar-Battery Park

MGE obtained regulatory approval to purchase 20 MW of solar energy and 11 MW of battery storage from the Paris Solar-Battery Park, a 200-MW solar park to be built in the Town of Paris in Kenosha County. This partnership will help MGE to meet future energy and capacity needs cost-effectively as the company continues its ongoing transition away from coal-fired electricity with the planned retirement of the Columbia Energy Center in Portage in June 2026. MGE's share of the Paris Solar-Battery Park will power about 6,000 households. The solar project is expected online in 2024. The battery storage is expected in 2025.  
 

Darien Solar Energy Center

MGE, in partnership with We Energies and WPS, subsidiaries of WEC Energy Group, received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to purchase solar energy from the Darien Solar Energy Center. MGE will own 25 MW of solar energy from the 250-MW solar park in Rock and Walworth Counties in southern Wisconsin. The 2,000-acre project will feature up to 850,000 solar panels, and it will generate enough clean energy to power about 75,000 households. MGE’s share of the output will power about 7,500 households. We Energies and WPS will own the remaining 225 MW of the output from the project. The Darien Solar Energy Center is expected to begin serving customers by the end of 2024.  

Koshkonong Solar Energy Center

MGE, in partnership with We Energies and WPS, received approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to purchase solar energy from the Koshkonong Solar Energy Center. MGE will own 30 MW of solar energy from the facility located in the Towns of Christiana and Deerfield in Dane County. The approximately 4,600-acre project will include a 300-MW solar array, and it will generate enough clean energy to power about 90,000 households. MGE's share will power about 9,000 households. The project is expected to be online in 2026. 

Shared Solar Program

MGE's Shared Solar program offers the benefits of locally generated solar power. It's easy, flexible and affordable. Our first project, which came online in 2017, is a 500-kilowatt (kW) solar array located on the roof of the City of Middleton Municipal Operations Center. The program was expanded in 2020 with an array built at Middleton Municipal Airport. The 6-MW Morey Field Solar array serves Shared Solar participants and the City of Middleton and the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District under our Renewable Energy Rider program. To learn more, visit mge.com/sharedsolar.

 

Overhead Solar Lighting

We continue to explore innovative and environmentally friendly options for our customers. That's why we have an option for residential and business customers who want to add overhead solar lighting to their properties. MGE is able to partner with customers to design a customized lighting plan for large expanses.

 

Solar in Schools

We are committed to helping teach area students about renewable energy technologies. That's why the MGE Foundation has funded solar array installations for each of the 10 high schools in our electric service area.

 

 

Solar in Our Community

Live energy production data from some of our projects in the community is available on our website.