(Beaver Dam) The first solar panel was placed Tuesday at Alliant Energy’s Beaver Dam solar project site. The 50-megawatt facility is being constructed on 350 acres in the city and town of Beaver Dam and the town of Burnett.
It is part of the utility’s Clean Energy Blueprint, a strategic roadmap to cost-effectively accelerate renewable energy development and reduce carbon emissions. Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin President David de Leon says the project will generate enough clean, low-cost energy to power nearly 13,000 homes annually.
It will also create a few hundred jobs and employ a couple full-time employees once the site is operational. De Leon adds that there is another figure important to note.
“While we highlighted a lot of numbers in terms of jobs created and homes the site can power…there’s one more number equally important to the community…and that number is six-million,” says De Leon. “That’s how much shared revenue the town and county are estimated to receive from the state over the next thirty years. We’re excited to see how these dollars will be put to use to benefit everyone in this community.”
De Leon also thanked local officials, families, and farmers for ensuring this project would positively impact everyone.
“Across Wisconsin, Alliant Energy is working with families, farmers, business owners, and community leaders to develop renewable energy projects…we know that solar sites like this one…help diversify land use…boost our energy independence and build those stronger communities,” says De Leon. “I want to extend my appreciation to all the local town, city, and county officials…in your partnership and hard work over the years to make sure that this project benefits everyone in the community.”
At the Beaver Dam site, like others around the state, Alliant will plant native grass and seed mixes throughout and around the solar arrays to create a healthy environment. The native vegetation is expected to attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies, moths, and other beneficial wildlife populations.
A total of 120-thousand solar panels will be placed by the projects conclusion, which is expected to wrap up by the end of the year. Work on Alliant Energy’s 100-megawatt solar farm in the town of Lomira is slated to be complete by this summer. It is estimated the site will power tens of thousands of homes.
