WHEATLAND — A Wheatland resident reached out to TMJ4 News with a simple but powerful question — "Are our voices even being heard?" That question is at the center of a story that has been months in the making.
Despite a unanimous 22-0 Kenosha County vote to adopt a one-year moratorium on battery storage approvals — Robin Energy Storage filed its engineering plan directly with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission on June 18th. The company plans to submit its full application. If approved — 244 battery storage containers would be placed on acres of active agricultural land in the Town of Wheatland — with construction potentially beginning as early as late 2027.
Wheatland resident Kathy Denko, who lives within the evacuation zone of the proposed project, says the community is devastated by the move.
"We work so hard on this as a community and it is very disappointing to know they had no respect for our one-year moratorium and went around it directly to the PSC," Denko said. "The Public Service Commission is supposed to protect us — the taxpayers and citizens of this state — not take these projects and put them where they are not wanted and where they can't guarantee our safety."
Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman called the PSC filing a "direct circumvention of local control" — and says she is now "lobbying the Legislature to pass state regulations on battery storage systems — which currently do not exist in Wisconsin."
Watch: Wheatland residents upset as Robin Energy files battery storage plan with state
When TMJ4 News asked the PSC whether the county moratorium has any standing in the review process — the commission responded that — "to the extent there is a legal conflict between the Commission's regulatory authority and a local ordinance — it would be up for the courts to resolve."
Robin Energy responded saying the project will — "help meet Wisconsin's unprecedented growth in power demand" and that it is "keeping all doors open with local and county officials."
Once Robin Energy files its full application — the PSC will open a public comment period and hold hearings where community members can testify on the record. Residents who want to weigh in can track the case using docket number 9842-CE-100 at the PSC website. A link to the public participation page is available here.
TMJ4 News will continue to follow this story every step of the way.
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