Madison Gas and Electric files application to expand Shared Solar program

Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) filed an application Wednesday with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to expand its Shared Solar program with a second, large-scale solar installation in Middleton.

The voluntary Share Solar program gives residential and business customers in MGE’s electric service territory the option to power their home or business with locally generated solar energy. Subscribers can purchase up to half of their annual electricity use through the program.

“Our Shared Solar program is fully subscribed with a waiting list of customers who want to participate,” MGE Chairman, President and CEO Jeff Keebler said. “We have significant customer interest in Shared Solar, and by proposing this expansion, we are meeting the needs of our customers who want affordable and locally sourced solar energy.”

MGE would build the five-megawatt (MW) project in partnership with the City of Middleton at the Middleton Municipal Airport, also known as Morey Field.

A one MW share of the solar array would serve the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District under MGE’s Renewable Energy Rider (RER). A 0.5-MW share would serve the City of Middleton under a separate RER agreement.

MGE expects to begin construction this summer and anticipates that the solar array will begin producing electricity for customers this fall.

MGE’s first Shared Solar project is a 500-kilowatt array on the roof of Middleton’s Municipal Operations Center. The array came online in January 2017 fully subscribed.

This project builds on the success of our first Shared Solar project,” Keebler added. “It also advances the City of Middleton’s and MGE’s clean energy goals. We look forward to working with our customers and the City of Middleton in growing our Shared Solar program with this new, large-scale project.”

MGE is targeting at least a 40 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and at least an 80 percent reduction by 2050.