In December of 2020, the Commission issued a Final Decision for this project. In March of 2021 the case was reopened to consider a request by the applicant to install an additional 60 MW of battery storage capacity.
In January of 2022, the Commission issued a Final Decision on Reopening, thereby amending the original Order to include authorization to install the requested additional battery storage capacity.
Quarterly construction updates and post decision correspondence between the Commission and the Applicant can be found in
Reports of Docket 9801-CE-100.
Application Summary
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Overview: Paris Solar Farm, LLC (Paris Solar) is proposing a (PV) solar electric generating facility capable of generating approximately 200 MW of AC power, in the Town of Paris, Kenosha County, Wisconsin. The proposed project area covers approximately 5,350 acres (8.36 square miles) in which approximately 1,500 acres would be developed to host the proposed solar facilities. The major components of the proposed project include PV panels, power conversion units, inverters, approximately 32 miles of underground 34.5 kilovolt (kV) collector circuits, a new 138kV position at the Paris 138kV substation, a new 345kV substation adjacent to the existing Paris Substation, a new approximately 0.1-mile (approximately 530 feet in length and 100-feet in width) 138kV Gen-Tie line, new large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS), and a permanent operation and maintenance building. The proposed project includes eighteen fenced primary and alternative solar panel array areas that can be identified by their fence boundary identification number, as seen in the attached map. At this time the applicants state that no Wisconsin utilities are under contract for delivery of energy from the proposed project.
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Applicant stated need: This project is proposed by an independent power producer, Paris Solar Farm, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Invenergy LLC. As such, the need for the project is not reviewed by the Commission. Paris Solar has stated that they intend to either; sell the electrical output of the project to customers pursuant to one or more agreements, or alternatively, they will sell some or all of the project to one or more Wisconsinpublic utilities, with Paris Solar remaining as the builder and operator of the project.
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Estimated cost: This project is proposed by an independent power producer, and the Commission does not review the project cost or need. The cost to Wisconsin utilities, and ratepayers, would be reviewed when the power from the facility is purchased by Wisconsin utilities.
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Project Location: The Town of Paris in Kenosha County, Wisconsin (see map).
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Proposed schedule:
- The application was submitted to the Commission on February 28, 2020.
- If approved, the proposed construction schedule for this project is to begin in July, 2021. The project is proposed to be completed and in service by May, 2023.
Key Application Documents and Case Contacts
Documents
Case Contacts and Additional Information
Access
Docket 9801-CE-100 in the PSC Case Management System to view additional information including:
- Staff Involved: this tab contains contact details for PSC staff assigned to the docket, including the case coordinator and the environmental review coordinator
- Documents: this tab contains a complete list of docket documents categorized by document type
Statutory Review
The solar electric generation facility is a
Type 3 action under
Wis. Admin. Code § PSC 4.10(3).Type III actions normally do not require preparation of an EA or an environmental impact statement (EIS) under Wis. Admin. Code § PSC 4.10(3). However, an evaluation of a specific Type III proposal may indicate that the preparation of an EA is warranted for that proposal. The Commission will prepare an EA for this project that will evaluate the location of the project and its potential environmental, community, and private property impacts. There will be a preliminary determination when the EA is complete that will determine whether the preparation of an EIS is necessary. Comments on this preliminary determination will be accepted and considered before a final determination is made. At the time of the preliminary determination, the Commission shall make copies of the EA available to those persons that request it.