Opportunity for Action: Public Hearing on Vista Sands Solar Farm

Solar panels in Wisconsin. Credit: Mark Asplund

Your voice is needed to support renewable energy production and protect Wisconsin’s wildlife.

As you may know, Wisconsin’s Green Fire has been engaged with other conservation organizations reviewing the 6,700-acre Vista Sands Solar Farm application.  The final approval of this project rests with the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Wisconsin. By statute, the PSC must issue a decision on the Vista Sands application by mid-January 2025. You can help the PSC decide what to do! 

Scroll down for details on how to attend the August 15 public hearing in Plover (in-person and via Zoom).

You can also submit your comments electronically or by mail.

Greater Prairie-Chicken. Photo via WDNR.

We don’t have to choose between developing clean, solar-generated electricity and protecting our natural resources.

WGF strongly supports the rapid transition to renewable energy production in Wisconsin.  The Vista Sands project is a major step toward reaching that goal and the many environmental and climate benefits that result from such action. When completed, the Vista Sands Solar Farm would be one of the largest solar developments in the United States. It would be located in Portage County, about 5 miles southwest of the Village of Plover and adjacent to the Buena Vista Wildlife Area. However, reaching our energy goals must not come at the expense of our wildlife, including Wisconsin’s threatened species like the Greater Prairie-Chicken.  The good news is that we can have both renewable energy and wildlife conservation.

Tell the PSC we want both!

To achieve both goals, we believe the PSC must direct Vista Sands to avoid developing solar arrays at sites that are likely to cause negative impacts to Wisconsin’s threatened Greater Prairie-Chickens. These sites were identified in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for this project. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) identified 10 primary and 4 alternative array sites that should not be developed. WGF supports WDNR’s recommendation and urges the PSC to make this a requirement of their approval.

How can the renewable energy development meet its energy production goals without those sites? Removing these sites from development does not require the company to downsize their project.  Beyond the land identified by the company as its preferred development area, the PSC requires applicants to identify an additional 25% that could be developed if the PSC finds its needed to avoid harm to natural resources or avoid other problems.

Your Opportunity for Action:

Please participate in this public hearing and comment opportunity.  Use your voice for conservation!

To help you prepare your comments, we suggest you:

1. Support conservation of Wisconsin’s threatened Greater Prairie-Chicken population by requesting PSC implement the FEIS recommendation not to develop the 14 problematic solar array sites and shift those arrays to the other alternative sites identified by Vista Sands; and
2. Support Vista Sand’s proposal for a solar development that can generate 1,300 megawatts of clean, renewable electricity.

By supporting both wildlife conservation and renewable energy development, we can achieve our strategic goals for climate solutions and conservation of biodiversity.

How to Submit Your Comment to the PSC

You can submit your comments electronically or via mail by August 16, or in-person at the August 15 public hearing. Make sure to reference the docket number: 9820-CE-100.

• Submit your comment electronically by 11:59pm on August 16, 2024 through the PSC’s Electronic Records Filing System.
• Mail your comment by U.S. Mail to:
  Docket 9820-CE-100 Comments
  Public Service Commission
  P.O. Box 7854
  Madison WI 53707-7854
• Attend a public hearing session: Thursday, August 15, 2024 – 2:00p.m. and 6:00 p.m. CT
  Best Western Hotel & Convention Center
  5253 Harding Avenue Plover WI 54467

At the public hearing session, the PSC shall receive comments from the public. To comment at this session, a member of the public may either:

(1) Attend any physical location as noticed for this session; or

(2) Join Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/my/pschearings. If no adequate internet connection exists, join Zoom by telephone. Dial: +1 312 626 6799 Enter Meeting ID: 809 513 2930

Thank you for all you do as the voices for conservation!

Let us know if you plan to attend the August 15 hearing or need help submitting your comments by August 16.