Community solar projects can help boost small businesses and consumers
Small businesses are the backbone of Wisconsin’s economy. Our 461,000 small businesses love what we do and contribute to our communities – including employing 1.3 million of our neighbors in every corner of the state.
But the path isn’t always easy. Running a small business can be challenging even in the best of times. These days, family-owned businesses like mine face a combination of challenges unlike anything we have ever seen.
My company, Adams Power, provides electrical, heating and air conditioning, solar, plumbing, low voltage and standby power solutions from our three locations in Elkhorn, Green Bay and Hazelhurst. We employ hundreds of people throughout the region. The rate of retired skilled trades men and women is compressing an already tight labor market. Operating in a tight labor market drives up wages and makes it hard to maintain the skilled workforce we need. Supply chain delays continue to make it challenging to deliver products on time, and the post-pandemic recovery remains shaky, making it hard for our customers to plan for their futures.
None of this is to say that these last few years have been all bad. There has been a home improvement boom in many areas, and the increasing adoption of clean energy technologies like solar and battery storage has presented incredible opportunities for companies like mine. But economic storm clouds persistently linger and small businesses and the many families we employ need all the help we can get.
Fortunately, one of our keys to success as a business is the ability to remain optimistic in the face of hardship. In some ways, every business is founded on the basis of hope – our belief in our team’s ability to deliver powerful solutions to our customers. Because of that, I perpetually see bright spots on the horizon. Right now, one of the most promising is the opportunity Wisconsin has to build a robust community solar program.
Adrian Lopez an Azco carpenter journeymen, works on installing some of the 240,000 solar panels at the future Springfield solar farm in the Town of Lomira on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The nearly 900-acre, 100-megawatt solar project is being completed by Alliant Energy and is expected to create enough solar energy to power approximately 25,000 homes according to the company.
Adrian Lopez an Azco carpenter journeymen, works on installing some of the 240,000 solar panels at the future Springfield solar farm in the Town of Lomira on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The nearly 900-acre, 100-megawatt solar project is being completed by Alliant Energy and is expected to create enough solar energy to power approximately 25,000 homes according to the company.
That is why lawmakers in Madison should pass Senate Bill 226 and Assembly Bill 258. Community solar allows for the construction of solar developments on land that typically goes unused, including farmland deemed unsuitable for agricultural use by farmers. Once a program is established, consumers can subscribe to a community solar project and source a portion of their energy through the infrastructure.
The solar industry in the U.S. is white-hot right now and had its best first quarter in history this year, according to a report released in June by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie. As a solar installer, we have seen it firsthand.
Wisconsin’s residential solar industry already employs more than 48,000 people. Adding community solar to the mix will drive those numbers even higher.
Expanding the solar industry can be a game changer for the communities my company serves. These projects lead to more local jobs that create opportunities for families and generate tax revenue for municipalities straining to meet budgets.
Those jobs will support projects that can provide financial relief to residents who are striving to meet skyrocketing energy bills. I cannot tell you how many conversations we have with customers who are weighed down by crushing utility bills. With energy prices poised to increase next year, under proposals put forward by the state’s utility companies, our customers need relief. Subscribing to a community solar project can provide it.
Households in other states with community solar, including Minnesota and Utah, typically save at least 10 percent on their energy bills after signing up. That is hundreds of dollars in potential savings for families who need all the help they can get for their pocketbooks.
Lawmakers have tried establishing community solar in the past, but those efforts have faltered following opposition from the monopolistic utility companies who control the solar market. Thankfully, Sen. Duey Stroebel, R-Saukville, and Rep. Scott Krug, R-Nekoosa, reintroduced legislation earlier this year so lawmakers have another chance to get it right.
Lawmakers must stand up for our communities by passing SB 226 and AB 258 and placing this program at the top of their priority list when they return to session in September because Wisconsin needs community solar.
Jesse Adams is president of Adams Power in Fontana.