On Friday, the Janesville Gazette highlighted the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin’s approval of Dawn Harvest Solar Energy Center, making note of the responsive and community-first approach of the developer, Invenergy.
The 150-megawatt solar generation project in Rock County is expected to come online in 2026 and demonstrates the process of collecting and responding local input that is critical to any project’s success.
Read the whole article here or find excerpts below:
Janesville-area Dawn Harvest solar farm gets state approval
By Hannah Powell
The Janesville Gazette
‘I did appreciate Dawn Harvest Solar’s on-the-ground efforts in this process,’ [Commissioner Kristi] Nieto said later. ‘They offered good neighbor agreements to all adjacent property owners and provided information to any neighbor that had questions.’
Nieto said Dawn Harvest has worked at maintaining a relationship with the local community, she used an example of project representatives reaching out to neighbors who had submitted questions in the commission docket, answering their questions while also providing resources and explaining the application.
[…]
‘Dawn Harvest is exploring commercially reasonable efforts to implement more agricultural co-use at the site, including sheep grazing, and are expecting to return the land with healthier and more productive soil than before,’ Nieto noted.
Nieto also noted that the project is expected to:
- Generate approximately $750,000 in annual payments through Wisconsin’s shared revenue utility aid program.
- Provide about 250 construction jobs and during operation will employ 5 full-time workers.
[…]
Commissioner Marcus Hawkins said he thought the ‘engagement was really impressive on the applicants’ part’ and the extensive documentation was ‘really helpful.’
‘I thought hearing concerns and support from the community was really important and helped guide my review of the decommissioning plan and things like that. I appreciate those public comments for encouraging me to dig a level deeper,’ Hawkins said.
Read the full article in the Janesville Gazette Xtra.
Powering Wisconsin is a member-led coalition aimed at advancing renewable energy solutions that move Wisconsin toward increased sustainability while spurring economic development and protecting private property rights. To learn more, visit PoweringWisconsin.org.
