Wisconsin Public Service to buy Red Barn Wind Farm

Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) got approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW) to purchase the Red Barn Wind Farm, which is being built in southwestern Wisconsin.

Once completed, the Red Barn Wind Farm will be the companyʻs largest wind facility in Wisconsin. The project will feature 28 turbines capable of generating 92 megawatts (MW) of energy — enough to power about 40,000 homes. It is located in Grant County, near the village of Montfort.

The wind farm will be owned jointly by WPS and Madison Gas and Electric (MGE). Once the deal is finalized, WPS own will own 82 MW of the capacity while MGE will own 10 MW. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

This new project adds to the WPS portfolio of renewable energy generation. In addition to the Red Barn Wind Farm, WPS also owns 61 MW of the capacity of the Forward Wind Park near Fond du Lac, as well as the 99 MW Crane Creek Wind Farm in northeast Iowa.

Also, the company brought Wisconsin’s first large-scale solar projects online and announced plans for more solar and battery storage facilities.

WEC Energy Group, WPSʻs parent company, recently announced plans to transition away from coal as a fuel source by 2035. The companyʻs long-term goal is to make its electric generation fleet net carbon neutral by 2050.