The Dane County Regional Airport released Monday seeking proposals for a new solar development plan which, when implemented, will be the second largest in the state.
The development will include 41 acres of land and will have the ability to generate 8 megawatts of power, about three times the power of the largest solar plant in the region: a 2.25 megawatt facility in Beloit.
“Given its role in sustaining and growing our local economy, we think the Dane County Regional Airport is a perfect fit for this bold project,” Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said in a release.
This will be the fourteenth Dane County solar installation and the county hopes it will help the region remain a leader in sustainable energy.
“Dane County has been leading the state in generating cleaner renewable homegrown energy,” Parisi said.
The facility is still seeking approval from the Federal Aviation Administration and will be the third installation on the Dane County Airport campus, although the new development will be 80 times larger than the existing installations.
The expansion of the airports solar installations is the latest in the county’s effort to expand renewable energy. In the 2017 budget Parisi dedicated over $2 million to generating solar capacity.
Other projects include solar installations at the Alliant Energy Center, Lyman F. Anderson Agriculture and Conservation Center, and the Dane County Job Center, with additional funding for the Dane County Library Service and the new home of the former Blooming Grove Fire Department Station.
“This project will save taxpayers money, help address climate change and keep jobs in Dane County,” Parisi said.
