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Lawmaker says Wisconsin’s community solar bill sends a message

As Wisconsin’s State Assembly wrapped up its session Friday, Representative Travis Tranel says an important vote sends a strong message about building solar and wind generation on prime farmland.

Tranel says the community solar bill was pulled from the Energies and Utilities Committee and sent to the Agriculture Committee, where Ag Committee members held a public hearing and amended the bill to give more local control over these projects. “So, these thousand-acre solar farms or these gigantic windmill farms that you’re talking about that the PSC (Public Service Commission) just seems to approve cart blanche, under out subsitute amendment, the local unit of government would have to approve that before they could move forward.”

Tranel says the Ag Committee added additional restrictions to the bill. “If you want to do solar, okay. We’re not totally opposed to renewable energy, but you can’t do it on Wisconsin’s best farmland, and I really think that sends a strong message hopefully to the utilities that people are frustrated with how we’re generating power in the state.”

Tranel says Wisconsinites are concerned about future data centers and where all the power will come from, and legislators want to make sure it doesn’t all come from wind and solar on Wisconsin’s best farmland.

Tranel says the community solar bill passed the Assembly Ag Committee but didn’t get a full Assembly vote in time.

Another bill that would freeze animal inspection fees has made it to Governor Tony Evers, but so far, there is no indication whether he will sign it.

The Butter in Schools bill and the bill allowing expanded use of soybean-based firefighting foam also passed the Assembly, and awaits a Senate vote in the next few weeks.

AUDIO: State Representative and Assembly Ag Committee Chairman Travis Tranel discusses last-minute action in the Wisconsin Assembly Friday 2/20/26 before the final gavel fell with Brownfield’s Larry Lee.