Here is what we know so far

Since Xcel hasn’t shone us any detailed plans for the Ten Mile Creek Solar project we’ve had to piece things together. Here is what we’ve gathered so far:

• Solar panels will cover over 5000 acres of prime farm land.
• That’s almost 8 square miles of solar panels. Enough to cover the city of New Richmond.
• At this big of a scale it can negatively impact wildlife, groundwater, human health, property values, increase risk of fire, and devastate the land making it unusable for future generations.
• Industrial sized transmission lines would cross over 15 miles of the county from Highway 63 to Bayport, MN. Trampling over farm fields and backyards along the way.
• This massive complex would surround neighborhoods and park conservation areas right here in St. Croix County.

The solar panels would be mostly installed in Erin Prairie Township which is zoned agricultural. To connect the solar complex to the grid, there will be over 15 miles of Industrial sized transmission lines running across St. Croix county into Bayport, MN at the King Substation. The project they are proposing is going to be 350 megawatts at first but could go up to 600 megawatts.

The way Wisconsin law is written, any project over 100 megawatts no longer is under the jurisdiction of the county or township, it will fall under the Public Service Commission in Madison. Xcel must file an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity with the Public Service Commission not the county. Recently it has become known that Xcel will apply to the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) for approval in Fall 2025.

Once Xcel applies at the Public Service Commission the review process begins and can take anywhere from 6 months to a year. The PSC will decide if the project is approved, denied, or make changes to a proposed project. The PSC will notify the public that the application has been filed and the review process has begun.

During this time the PSC will hold two hearing, one that is public and one that is technical. The public hearing is a time when citizens can testify and voice their concerns about how this will impact them. The technical hearing is where expert witnesses provide testimony and evidence.