Rock County and Alliant Energy are partnering to build two solar projects in Janesville, an effort that would offer more renewable energy access to area residents.
The plan consists of a 2.25 megawatt community solar garden and a 1.4 megawatt customer-hosted project on nearly 22 acres. President of Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin energy company David de Leon said the company was thankful to Rock County for helping launch the project.
“The Community Solar program is just one more way we can use our knowledge and resources to serve our customers while bringing them options and solutions to meet their needs,” de Leon said.
With the new solar farm, Alliant Energy’s customers can benefit from renewable energy without installing solar panels on their property. The Alliant Energy Community Solar program gives customers solar credits for every solar block purchased.
The partnership will also launch the Alliant Energy Customer-Hosted Renewables solar project, which will give Rock County annual fixed lease payments for 20 years.
“This solar project is a win for residents of Rock County because we can offset some of our greenhouse gas emissions without having to make costly upgrades to our facilities,” Director of Facilities Management in Rock County Brent Sutherland said.
The solar farm will be located on county-owned property east of the Rock Haven Assisted Living facility in Janesville. Officials estimate that the farm could power up to 1,800 homes per year.