The Sconi

Alliant is scheduled to begin huge solar projects in Richland, Wood and Rock counties, with the approval from the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSCW).

Alliant Energy is contracting with Burns and McDonnell to build the Bear Creek (Richland County), North Rock and Wood County projects, which will be constructed using union workers. Ranger Power will build out the Onion River and Crawfish River projects, starting this fall.

The Bear Creek and North Rock projects will be 50 megawatts each, and the Wood County project will be 150 megawatts.

The Onion and Crawfish River projects will be 150 and 75 megawatts, respectively.

David De Leon, president of Alliant Energy’s Wisconsin energy company, said that they were ready to move forward in the development of the projects.

“We are extremely pleased to receive the PSCW’s final approval,” he said. “It’s a historic day as we move from planning and preparing to constructing our large-scale solar projects.”

Last month, Forbes reported that solar panels produce 300 times more toxic waste than high-level waste from nuclear power plants.

Used solar panels are shipped to sub-Saharan landfills, rather than being safely stored away from the public, which can be highly dangerous for communities in developing nations where trash-scavenging is common.

A Harvard Business Review (HBR) study found that waste produced by solar panels will make solar energy four times more expensive than was previously assumed.

HBR estimates that “by 2035, discarded panels would outweigh new units sold by 2.56 times.”

The HBR researchers write that “if early replacements occur as predicted by our statistical model,” solar panels “can produce 50 times more waste in just four years than (International Renewable Energy Agency) anticipates.”

The study also found that the explosion of solar energy in recent years has occurred in large part due to massive government subsidies and tax credits, such as the 26% Solar Investment Tax Credit, rather than efficiency.

De Leon said that the state’s investment would translate into cleaner and more vibrant communities.

“It’s a smart investment and creates a long-term, sustainable path for cleaner energy that supports our purpose-driven strategy of supporting customers and building strong communities,” he added.

According to CFact.org, a large PV array can still easily consume more water annually than an entire residential block and both types of installations are depleting the region’s most critical natural resource.

Dirty solar modules are not efficient and power output can be reduced by as much as 20%, making solar energy production less economically viable than fossil fuel.

Today’s typical silicon solar cell panels operate at around 22% efficiency, while the best silicon solar cell reached a 26.7% efficiency on a lab scale.

The lifespan of solar modules can fall below 20 years in high-temperature climates.