A Bright
Future for
Wood County
Wood County Solar Project, LLC
Wood County Solar Project, LLC is proposing a 150 MW solar energy facility in Wood County, Wisconsin. We are excited to be working in partnership with county officials and landowners to bring Wood County residents the opportunity to host a clean, environmentally compatible, renewable energy generation installation.
Local Labor Info
Local subcontractors and vendors interested in submitting information about their services are encouraged to send their contact details and experience to info@woodcountysolarproject.com.
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If you have shared your information with Drew Gibbons, Mark Mauersberger, or Kim Griffin of the Wood County Solar Project development team previously, you can be assured that it has been shared directly with the construction teams.
For more information on the hiring plan for Wood County Solar Project, click HERE.
Benefits of a Solar Energy Project
A solar project provides a healthy, productive economic development opportunity for local land to harvest a stable cash crop – the sun. Benefits include positive impacts to the local economy through tax revenues to local governments and support to other local services. Host communities typically experience economic boosts for local businesses and supply chains and the opportunities for new jobs – primarily during the construction phase.
In addition to being safe and compatible with agricultural and rural residential uses, solar energy facilities exist in harmony with wildlife and the environment. They make good neighbors because they operate almost silently without producing odor or byproducts; or attracting additional traffic.
In the bigger picture, solar energy projects provide an abundant, earth-friendly, sustainable power resource to help stabilize electricity costs. These amazing systems lessen carbon emissions and contribute to the diversification of the nation’s electricity grid.
Local Economic Impacts
Hundreds of local jobs are expected to be generated during the project's construction phase.
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Solar power facilities provide positive impacts to the local economy through increased revenues to local governments and the creation of new jobs during construction. In addition, throughout the development and construction phases, host communities can experience an economic surge for the local supply chain including increased spending at hotels, restaurants, stores, gas stations, and other goods and services in the area.
Dear Wood County community:
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As the COVID-19 situation continues, please know the safety and well-being of our project host community residents remains to be our top priority.
We are still taking precautions and have implemented plans to ensure that our teams are working in a safe environment. We are also thinking about you, your families, and your businesses, so we will be following the CDC recommendations in terms of social distancing and limited travel while work continues on the project.
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Please do not hesitate to reach out directly if you have any questions.
We wish you health and safety during this time,
Mark Mauersberger
Development Director
mmauersberger@savionenergy.com
Drew Gibbons
Senior Development Director
Facts
Location
The Wood County Solar Project is located south of State Highway 73 [more specifically...south of Sevenmile Creek] and west of State Highway 13, approximately 7 miles south of Wisconsin Rapids.
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View map of project site & easement route alternatives
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View zoomed in map of project site only
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View zoomed in map of easement route alternatives only
Size & Acres
The project size is estimated to be 1,650 acres in the town of Saratoga. However, the project, which consists of all solar components and infrastructure, will occupy approximately 1,200 acres of the project area based on the current design.
Interconnection
March 2018: Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) interconnection submitted
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November 2020: Interconnection Agreement Execution (expected)
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Project Update
April 9, 2021 - Recently, a notification was posted about the upcoming tree harvesting at the site for Wood County Solar Project. It has been confirmed that this activity is expected to begin on April 12, 2021. To view the map showing the tree harvesting area, click HERE.
We are talking with local mills on ways the harvested wood can be used to produce beneficial products. While much of the wood is expected to meet the mills’ 4-inch thickness requirements, any wood/stumps that doesn’t meet the mills’ requirements or cannot be accepted on a timeline that meets the project’s requirements will be chipped. The chipped wood is expected to be used in three ways: sent to a local bio-mass plant, used on-site, and some will be made available free for use by community residents.
Local Workers:
The hiring process is well underway for this project. Burns & McDonnell is the general contractor for this project, and they will be overseeing all work. Once construction begins, there will be four local trade groups performing the work for Wood County Solar Project:
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Carpenters from Local 804 based in Junction City
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Laborers from Local 268 based in Eau Claire
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Operating Engineers from Local 139 of Wood, Portage, Marathon, Clark, and Langlade Counties
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IBEW Electricians from Local 388 based in Stevens Point
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Well Testing:
There is no expected change in groundwater due to the project. However, well testing will take place. The first sample has been taken as a baseline, and the results will be provided to the Town and County. There will be follow-up tests, at a minimum, over the next several years to ensure the solar array's presence does not affect groundwater.
Want to Connect?
Without the vision and partnership of county officials and supportive community members, solar power facilities would not be possible. With gratitude, we want to recognize the residents of the Town of Saratoga and Wood County for their support and ambition to secure a bright future for their community through an economic contributor like Wood County Solar Project.
Our team is proud to be working with the Wood County community on this solar project:
Mark Mauersberger
Development Director
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Emily Truebner
Vice President of Permitting & Environmental
Please provide your contact info below and send us a message:
