A solar energy company is proposing to build a 6-megawatt solar farm on about 28 acres of land in Mukwonago, and residents will have a chance to weigh in at a public hearing next month.
The project, called the Spring Lake Solar, would place roughly 13,000 solar panels on land off Section Road and County Highway I. The land is owned by a local family that is leasing it to One Energy Renewables, the company behind the proposal.
Peter Murphy, a director at One Energy Renewables, said the project is designed to generate power for local homes and businesses.
"This is local power being produced and consumed locally," Murphy said.
Murphy said 6 megawatts is enough to power about 1,600 average Wisconsin homes per year. He also addressed concerns about cost to taxpayers.
"Taxpayers are not paying for this. So the reason solar projects like this are happening is because they are economically viable," Murphy said. "They're quiet neighbors. They don't emit anything."
If approved, the panels would remain on the property for 30 to 50 years.
Learn more about the proposal in the video player below
Mukwonago resident Gail Yerke attended an informational meeting Monday to learn more about the proposal. She said she reached out to TMJ4 because she believes the community deserves to know about it.
"I think it's an important issue that people need to know about," Yerke said.
Yerke said she was in favor of one detail from the meeting.
"The one thing, piece of information I got that I thought was positive was that they don't plan on having any lithium battery units," Yerke said.
Still, Yerke has lingering concerns about noise and property values near the site.
"It just doesn't seem an appropriate use of the land. There's a lot of subdivisions nearby and homes," Yerke said.
Despite her reservations, Yerke said she believes the public process is important.
"People will have an opportunity to voice their opinion. I think that's very important, whether they're for it or against it, that the community gets to do that," Yerke said.
A Plan Committee hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, October 7, at Mukwonago Town Hall.
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