COBB, Wis. — Wisconsin’s largest solar project in state history is now fully up and running.

We Energies and Madison Gas and Electric partnered to build Badger Hollow Solar Park. It contains 830,000 solar panels and covers more than 1,000 acres of land in Iowa County. 

“It came online in two phases,” said Brendan Conway, spokesperson for We Energies. “150 megawatts was phase one, and 150 megawatts for phase two.”

Conway acknowledged there were a lot of challenges to get the project finished.

“It made it through COVID, through supply chain issues and there’s a lot of effort that went into it,” Conway said. “But it’s an important project. Not only is it the state’s largest, but it’s creating clean, green energy for our customers.”

The solar panels pivot to follow the movement of the sun and have double-sided technology to capture light reflected from snow in the winter. Conway said now that it’s built, it doesn’t require as much labor.

“Projects like this are relatively low maintenance,” he said. “We have a few people that are always out monitoring it. Keeping an eye on making sure it’s working properly. Making sure that the components are kept up.”

Conway said transitioning away from coal to renewable energy wouldn’t be possible without farmers such as Bob Bishop, who leased out some of his land to the utility companies.

“They had us at hello,” Bishop said. “Opportunity knocked.”

Bishop’s family has been farming the land for generations. He said it’s been a mix of ups and downs, good times and bad. When he was approached about this project, he said he jumped at the opportunity.

“We don’t have any production costs in it,” Bishop said. “You take it; it’s that good. So, it solves our cash flow problem and stabilizes the farm for the future.”

He’s one of several local landowners who are now benefitting from a solar farm that will power tens of thousands of homes and businesses in Wisconsin.

“Projects like this will, over the long term, save customers money,” Conway said. “Certainly, we are reducing emissions, and we’re helping create green jobs here in the state. So, all these things we’re doing are benefitting not just one community, not just one customer, but everyone across the state.”