Property Committee dims on campus solar array proposal

The Barron County Property Committee, at its Monday, Nov. 9, meeting, indefinitely tabled pursuing a solar array project at UW-Eau Claire — Barron County, opting to keep the green space as is rather than filling it with solar panels to potentially raise funds for the university and county.

The committee members had a copy of a Solar Feasibility Study that was prepared by Upper 90, a Centrix Company. According to the study’s executive summary, the county and campus engaged in the firm to evaluate the feasibility of a ground-mounted solar array on undeveloped county-owned land at the campus at 1800 College Drive, Rice Lake.

The study was funded by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. It presented two options, both of which would generate more electricity than the entire campus currently uses in a year. The second option would generate roughly three times campus usage.

The study said the array site — east of the main campus — appears workable as it sits away from the Red Cedar River mitigating DNR shoreline/floodplain concerns. It stated that the main obstacles would include relocating a portion of the adjacent disc golf course and installing a security fencing given the site’s proximity to public recreational use.

The study went on to say the most realistic path forward — given the fact that no UW System capital funding is currently available to purchase and own an array of this scale outright — is a third-party power purchase agreement, paired with a land lease, rather than direct county/UW ownership. It said Rice Lake Utilities has already interconnected a comparable 6.5 MW-AC array under this exact structure, giving this project a proven local precedent to follow.

The feasibility recommendation was threefold:

• Structuring a PPA and land lease so that Barron County, UWEC and the UW System all realize a direct financial benefit from hosting an array.

• Deciding on a funding/ownership structure given the absence of UW capital.

• Coordinating with campus/county/stakeholders on the disc golf and recreational-use adjustments.

Leading off a discussion on the proposed solar project, County Administrator Jeff French said he had already spoken with the superintendent of Rice Lake Utilities, who advised to reach out to a third party.

“I don’t think we should own this,” French said. “We get a lease payment for 25-40 years, that’s what I’d recommend. I’m looking for direction from the committee.”

French said he would pursue it and find a partnership or drop it, whatever were the wishes of the committee.

Campus Director Abbey Fischer also weighed in on the solar project, saying, “How the payments happen is muddy, but what is clear to me is the significant energy that could be generated. What’s brilliant is the idea that the county staff and university staff wouldn’t have to manage it. … I think that’s a win for everybody.”

Committee Chairman Dana Heller suggested some fencing would be needed to block the balls from the long hitters in the baseball field.

“I’m having a difficult time with it,” said Committee Member Craig Fowler, who said the solar array would disrupt the disc golf course.

Fischer said the lines could be redrawn with the aim to keep it in the prairie area and out of the lane of Frisbee golf. She said her recommendation was to pursue it but not disrupt the disc course or youth baseball events.

“If we could keep the panels on the prairie, if we could do that, it might only disrupt one or two holes of disc golf,” she said.

Fowler was still not agreeable to the plan.

“It’s a very valuable piece of property,” he said. “We don’t know the future of the campus. The history of the UW System is not good. Why would we tie up a piece of property with a long-term commitment if we don’t know the future of the property? Why would we have our hands tied to a long-term commitment?”

Noting that the first plan was to put it on rooftops, Fowler said, “I have no problem with it on rooftops but to tie up a piece of property that gets used a lot; honestly, I think it’d be an eyesore.”

Counting out the rooftop plan, French said, “Punching holes in roofs in northwest Wisconsin is never a good idea — they always leak.”

Committee Member Bill Schradle wondered if the solar panels were made in China. French replied that they could make a requirement to have them made in America.

But Fowler was not done. He had another objection.

“It could also keep someone from developing it with a long-term lease on it,” Fowler said. “It’s a green space. It gets a lot of public use right now.”

When Corporation Counsel John Muench was asked for advice, he said if the solar developers were to invest a lot into it, they would be bound by the terms of the agreement and would have to live with it.

Committee Member Louie Okey suggested, “If we want to let things play out, we could make a decision a couple years down the road.”

Fowler remarked, “With all the efficiency things done for the buildings, I don’t see the benefit to committing to this long-term project.”

He made the motion to table, seconded by Schradle with all committee members in approval.

In other business, the Property Committee:

• Gave motorized trail authorization for years 2027-2028.

• Agreed to transfer $40,000 from a building automation fund to Parks and Recreation for a camper at Waldo Carlson Campground for use by the campground caretaker.