There’s a Buzz at MGE’s O’Brien Solar Fields
Five honey bee hives add to the pollinator-friendly habitat at MGE’s O’Brien Solar Fields in Fitchburg.
This spring, we welcomed new residents to MGE’s O’Brien Solar Fields in Fitchburg. Working with a local beekeeper, five hives were installed at the 22-megawatt solar array, and the honey bees now call the site home.
As one of our initial pollinator sites, MGE’s O’Brien Solar Fields is part of our broader commitment to supporting pollinator-friendly habitats at some of our other local solar facilities, including Dane County Airport Solar, Hermsdorf Solar Fields and Morey Field Solar.
Pollinator habitats continue to shrink. These efforts help support bees, butterflies and other pollinators that play a critical role in our environment by helping produce seeds, fruits and nuts. The hives are the latest addition to MGE’s agrivoltaics efforts, which combine solar energy generation with agricultural practices. This includes solar grazing with sheep to control ground cover sustainably.
published: Aug. 31, 2026
