MGE Partners with City of Madison and School District on Solar Project

Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) today filed an application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) for approval of an agreement to partner with the City of Madison and the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) on an 8-megawatt (MW) solar array in Madison.

If approved, the electricity generated by this local source of clean energy will increase renewable energy use in City operations by nearly 20%.

"We have partnered with the City of Madison and the school district on a number of projects over the years. This new solar partnership, which provides another source of locally generated clean energy, is another step toward our shared energy goals," said Jeff Keebler, MGE Chairman, President and CEO. "Another 8 megawatts of locally generated, cost-effective, carbon-free energy on our electric grid will help MGE achieve our goal of net-zero carbon electricity for all customers by 2050."

"We are working hard to have 100% of our municipal operations on renewable energy by 2030," said Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway. "Projects like these are critical to achieving that goal. We are happy for the partnership we've had with MGE and MMSD on this project and look forward to continuing that partnership in the future."

"MMSD is being very intentional about our commitment to renewable energy, with goals to meet 50% of all District operations' energy needs with renewable energy by 2030, 75% by 2035 and 100% by 2040," said MMSD Superintendent Dr. Carlton D. Jenkins. "We cannot do this alone, and we thank the City of Madison and MGE for their partnership, and for the opportunity to come together to work collaboratively in achieving a common goal, to mitigate climate change and ensure a healthier environment for our students and community."

Details of 8-MW solar project

The solar array will consist of about 28,000 solar panels and will cover approximately 53 acres of land north of Dane County's Rodefeld Landfill in southeast Madison. If approved, the project will be developed by NextEra Energy Resources Development, LLC.

The City will take 5 MW of the output and MMSD will take 3 MW of the output under Renewable Energy Rider (RER) agreements with MGE.

The cost of the project is estimated to be approximately $15.3 million. If approved, it is expected the solar array will begin generating electricity by the end of 2021.

Renewable Energy Rider

The City and MMSD have entered into separate RER agreements, subject to regulatory approval, with MGE. An RER enables MGE to partner with a large energy user to tailor a renewable energy solution to meet that customer's energy needs. RER customers are responsible for costs associated with the renewable generation facility and any distribution costs to deliver energy to the customer. The innovative model grows clean energy in our community.

Net-zero carbon goal

MGE is on the path toward deep decarbonization, pursuing globally recognized strategies to achieve an ambitious goal that is consistent with the latest climate science. MGE expects to achieve carbon reductions of 65% by 2030, exceeding its goal of a 40% reduction by 2030. If MGE can go further faster in reducing carbon emissions, it will. To reach its carbon reduction goals, MGE is growing its use of renewable energy, engaging customers around energy efficiency and facilitating the electrification of transportation, all of which are key strategies identified by the United States for achieving deep decarbonization. Visit mge2050.com to learn more.

About MGE

MGE generates and distributes electricity to 155,000 customers in Dane County, Wis., and purchases and distributes natural gas to 163,000 customers in seven south-central and western Wisconsin counties. MGE's parent company is MGE Energy, Inc. The company's roots in the Madison area date back more than 150 years.