MONROE — When one door closes, another opens — even in the case of renewable energy. While a controversial turbine project blew away with the wind, Alliant Energy brought a ray of sunshine to local green energy supporters.

Eastern Green County had a double-dose of renewable energy news in October. The controversial Sugar River Wind Farm was officially scrapped, and a new solar project received the green light minutes north.

EDF Renewables, a French-based company with North American headquarters in San Diego, had taken charge of the Sugar River Wind Farm initially. The company was scheduled to begin breaking ground in September, but instead began mailing letters to landowners in Jefferson Township in September that their leases would be terminated. No official reason for scrapping the project was given, though it was expected for EDF Renewables to either sign a power purchase agreement with an off-taker before ground was broken, or sell the farm to an electric provider when construction was complete.

“It is official,” said Heather Allen of RENEW Wisconsin, a Madison-based nonprofit that promotes and provides information and education on renewable energy. She received confirmation from EDF Renewables about the termination of the project. “I think it’s safe to say it’s done.”

Multiple attempts by the Monroe Times to reach EDF Renewables for comment were unsuccessful. In an email to the Associated Press, EDF executive Sandi Briner said, “Unfortunately, the nature of development doesn’t always cooperate, and the project is no longer viable. Therefore, we felt it was best to release the lease and agreements associated with this wind project in order to facilitate pursuit of future opportunities to continue development of their land.”

The 24-turbine wind farm was scheduled to produce 65-megawatts of power — the sixth largest in the state — and cover a stretch southeast of Monroe towards Juda and powering 20,000 homes in the process. The project was expected to yield about $260,000 in annual revenue, with more than $150,000 going directly to Green County, and $108,000 going to the Town of Jefferson. 

Opponents of the project, which called themselves “No Green County Wind,” took the contentious battle to court, citing the potential for decreasing property values and health. The Public Service Commission made its first-ever ruling on the case, upholding the county’s approval for the project on a 3-0 vote in June.

A second wind farm, the 99-megawatt Red Barn project in Grant County, is expected to move forward.

Allen doesn’t expect a new wind farm project to be proposed in the near future, though she didn’t rule it out, either, saying that with the land siting already have been decided, it clears an extra hurdle for interested companies.

Meanwhile, in late October, Alliant Energy announced its plans to build a 50-megawatt solar farm outside of Albany, and a 65-megawatt solar farm near Paddock Road in Rock County in the coming years. The Albany farm is said to be able to provide electricity for 30,000 local homes and businesses, though a specific location will be announced at a later time down the road.

Ben Lipari, Alliant Energy Director of Resource Development, said the company would begin the process of meeting with local officials to answer concerns about infrastructure and visibility in early 2021. 

“We’ll get their feedback,” Lipari said.

The earliest the project could break ground would be in late summer of 2022, with major construction taking place in the second half of 2023 and the project up and running in full sometime after that.

Lipari said Alliant Energy made it a goal in Oct. 2019 to begin moving faster toward renewable energy, which includes creating 1-gigawatt of solar energy projects between Iowa and Wisconsin. There are currently six active projects worth about 675-megawatts of power online.

Allen, whose job is to provide information on renewable energies, said that there should be a lesser amount of controversy with the solar project.

“In general, the public is very supportive of solar energy,” she said. “Solar is a very efficient form of energy. It beats coal 2:1.”