DUNN COUNTY, Wis. (WCFW / WSCM) – Dunn County now has another solar array as local officials seek to continue diversifying their renewable energy production.

On Monday, Dunn County residents gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Dunn Energy Cooperative’s new solar array installation. The new solar farm along Highway 29 is the fourth small-scale project the organization has undertaken in recent years.

According to a Leader Telegram report, the site includes over 5,000 solar panels on just 15 acres of land. Officials say it will produce about 2.5 megawatts of power, enough to supply energy for over 600 Dunn County homes throughout the year. They also say the site will require minimal maintenance work over the next 30 to 40 years.

Increasing renewable energy production has become a common goal across communities in Western Wisconsin. Earlier this year, a number of similar clean energy projects received significant grant funding through the Rural Energy for America Program. However, while small-scale projects like the new solar array in Dunn County have received strong support from the community, some larger scale projects like a 5,000 acre Xcel Energy solar farm in St. Croix County have been met with significant community opposition.

Dunn Energy Cooperative officials say the new solar farm is not meant to serve as a main energy source for its members. Residents on the organization’s power grid will receive some of their energy from the various solar arrays, some from the cooperative’s wind energy production sites, and some from more traditional coal and natural gas facilities.

The cooperative’s goal is to diversify its energy sources so their members can get cleaner energy when possible, but keep those traditional energy sources available for when they are needed.

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