Wisconsin, US utility Madison Gas and Electric (MGE) is partnering with We Energies and Wisconsin Public Service (WPS) to purchase 30MW of solar capacity and 16.5MW of battery storage from the High Noon Solar Energy Centre.
IPP Invenergy’s High Noon Solar Energy Centre comprises 300MW of solar and 156MW of energy storage.
In the announced partnership, We Energies and WPS will own the remaining 270MW of solar and 148.5MW of battery storage.
The project from Invenergy is expected to reach commercial operations in 2027.
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The IPP says that once completed, High Noon will generate US$1.2 million in local tax revenues. Additionally, the company highlights that when the project is decommissioned, the farmland it sits on will be returned to production after a period of rest for the soil.
MGE is working to reduce its carbon emissions by 80% by 2030 and by 2050 to deliver net-zero carbon electricity.
The utility claims to be halfway to its 2030 goal, which compares carbon emissions to 2005 levels.
MGE shares the net-zero emissions by 2050 goal with the state of Wisconsin.
According to the state’s 2024 Clean Energy Plan Progress Report, since 2019, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has approved 1,132MW of utility-scale battery storage with another 300MW under review.
MGE currently has about 13 total solar and storage projects with six more proposed for regulatory approval.
In 2023, MGE announced it would buy output from Invenergy’s Koshkonong Solar Energy Centre in Dane County, Wisconsin.
That deal saw MGE partnering again with WPS and We Energies. MGE announced it would own 30MW of solar capacity and 16.5MW of energy storage.
In October 2024, Energy-Storage.news reported that three utilities, including MGE were seeking regulatory approval to acquire two solar-plus-storage projects from Invenergy (Premium access) as part of a US$1.92 billion investment to reduce carbon emissions across the state.
That acquisition would see MGE splitting 10MW of BESS capacity with Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPSC) and receiving 5MW of solar capacity.
Invenergy launched its first natural gas plant in 2003. The next year, it completed its first wind project, and in 2012, the company first solar and storage projects went live in Illinois.
Now, the company claims to own 209 projects and approximately 33GW globally.
According to the company’s website, all of its standalone energy storage projects are located in North America, with the bulk of its projects located in Arizona, US.
