County Executive, Alliant Energy, & SunVest Solar Kick Off Construction of Solar Farm to Make Dane County 100% Renewable

90-Acre Solar Project in Town of Cottage Grove Will Make Dane County Government First County in State to Use 100% Renewable Power

Today, County Executive Joe Parisi joined Alliant Energy and SunVest Solar executives to kick off the construction of a 90-acre solar project on county-owned land in the Town of Cottage Grove. Known as the Yahara Solar Project, construction of this project will achieve Dane County’s goal of using 100% renewable electricity at all county facilities.

“Our clean energy partnership with Alliant Energy and SunVest Solar results in Dane County achieving our goal of powering our buildings with 100% renewable electricity,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi.  “I’m proud that our county is the first in the state and just a handful in the nation to achieve this renewable energy accomplishment that combats climate change and creates local clean energy jobs.”

Once the solar project begins operation early next year, the 17-megawatt (MW) project site will be home to over 33,000 solar panels and produce more than 31,000 MW-hours of renewable electricity per year — enough to power 3,000 Dane County homes. The renewable electricity generated from this new project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an amount equivalent to the emissions produced by over 3,800 cars or the burning of 20 million pounds of coal per year.

“Alliant Energy is proud to assist Dane County in achieving its clean energy goals through the Yahara Solar Project,” said JP Brummond, Vice President of Customer and Community Engagement for Alliant Energy. “We’re constantly looking for new ways to serve our customers and build stronger communities. This unique partnership extends Dane County’s position as a renewable energy leader and showcases Alliant Energy’s creative solutions for renewable energy development.”

Alliant Energy selected SunVest Solar headquartered in Pewaukee, Wisconsin to build, operate, and initially own the project. SunVest Solar has been the #1 solar developer in Wisconsin since 2015 and is ranked in the top 10 solar developers nationwide by Solar Power World magazine.

“SunVest Solar applauds the commitment Dane County has made to renewable energy and shares in its vision for an energy-independent future,” said Kirk Kindred, President of SunVest Solar, LLC. “The Yahara Solar Project is SunVest’s largest solar project in Wisconsin to date. We look forward to working with Dane County and Alliant Energy as the project comes to life.”

The Yahara Solar Project is Dane County government’s largest renewable energy project, nearly double the size of the solar installation at the Dane County Regional Airport—a 9-MW project that began operation in December 2020.

Alliant Energy will deliver the power generated to its customers, and Dane County in return for leasing the land will receive the renewable energy credits (RECs). Under an innovative deal structure, the County continues to own the land, and Alliant Energy leases the land, with payment made in RECs. This allows the County to reach its renewable energy goals for decades to come without any increase in energy costs. The RECs will offset the County’s greenhouse gas emissions without any increase in energy costs helping the County to achieve its renewable energy goals under the adopted Climate Action Plan.

The solar project will create approximately 70 jobs during peak construction. According to the National Solar Jobs Census, there were nearly 3,000 people employed in the solar industry in Wisconsin in 2020. 

Converting over 90 acres of agricultural land previously used for growing corn and soybeans to solar energy production and additional acreage on the site to prairie grass plantings will produce additional environmental benefits. Transforming the land to energy production will cut water runoff volume by about 325,000 cubic feet or roughly 3.5 Olympic-size swimming pools, reducing phosphorus runoff to area waterways by 370 pounds annually. Not tilling the land will boost habitat for dwindling pollinator populations and sequester 72 tons of soil carbon or the equivalent emissions of over 8,000 gallons of gasoline burned annually.

Dane County gets more power from solar than any other county in the state. Dane County generates power at 16 county-owned facilities, including the Dane County Regional Airport Solar Project and soon to be constructed Yahara Solar Project. An interactive “Clean Energy” map showcasing all of Dane County’s existing projects can be accessed here.

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Free and Reduced Admission Programs at The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Erik Flesch, Museum Director
The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums
Phone: (608) 348-3301
Email: museumdirector@platteville.org  

Free and Reduced Admission Programs at The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums

PLATTEVILLE, Wis., June 17, 2022—The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums is proud to announce two programs to achieve excellence in accessibility so that everyone can enjoy all the Museum has to offer — Museums for All and Blue Star Museums. Blue Star Museums provides free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families for the summer and Museum for All permanently reduces admission to a nominal fee of $1 for those receiving food assistance (SNAP) benefits.

Museums for All is a signature access program of the Institute of Museum and Library Services to encourage people of all backgrounds to visit museums regularly and build lifelong museum-going habits. The program reduces the cost of admission to a minimal fee of $1 per person, for up to four people, with the presentation of a SNAP Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. More than 850 institutions participate in the initiative, including art museums, children’s museums, science centers, botanical gardens, zoos, history museums, and more. These programs are part of The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums’ broad commitment to seek, include, and welcome all audiences, a core goal of the Museum.

Blue Star Museums is a collaboration among the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, the Department of Defense, and museums across America to offer free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel including National Guard and Reserve and their families each summer. The 2022 Blue Star Museums program will run through Labor Day, Monday, September 5. The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military–Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard–including Reservists, National Guardsmen, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Blue Star Museums began in order to improve the quality of life for active-duty military families. The program offers families a chance to visit museums this summer when many will have limited resources and time together. 

These programs supplement the recently implemented Friends of The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums Field Trip Scholarship Program, which offers funding for Museum admission and transportation for fourth-grade students from all schools in Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette Counties. This program has enabled record-breaking field trip attendance in 2022. Since May 1, over 1,200 students, teachers, and chaperones from over 20 schools have taken field trips, three times as many as previous years. This program was made possible by a grant from The Ann & Leo Stoll Jr. Charitable Trust and donations from the Platteville Optimist Club, Benton Community Development Corporation, and donors like you.

The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums are located on Main Street in Platteville, Wisconsin, in the heart of the historic Upper Mississippi Valley lead-zinc mining region. Founded in 1964, the Museum is a nearly three-acre campus with scenic greenspace, the underground 1845 Bevans Mine, and a 1930s-era narrow-gauge mine train pulled by a 1931 Whitcomb locomotive. Follow The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums on Facebook @MiningJamisonMuseum and visit our website at www.mining.jamison.museum for more information on current and upcoming programs or call (608) 348-3301 or email museums@platteville.org.

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Symbiont Joins Mead & Hunt

Symbiont, an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, joined Mead & Hunt, a Top 100 national architectural-engineering firm, on June 1^st, 2022. With this merger, Mead & Hunt is now the largest engineering firm in Wisconsin, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s latest data. The move allows both Mead & Hunt and Symbiont to expand their geographic and market reach on a national level, specifically in the areas of water, renewable energy (biogas), and food and beverage.

“This merger not only holds enormous benefit for both our companies, but for our clients as well,” said Andy Platz, CEO and President of Mead & Hunt. “We continuously work to provide our clients with new and expanded services. This move combines Mead & Hunt’s and Symbiont’s resources and project experience to support and grow our food and beverage and municipal markets.” He continues, “This union represents an ideal cultural fit. Both companies share values that put our communities, clients, partners, and employees first.”

Symbiont is an engineering, design-build, and construction firm founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1981. By developing and implementing innovative engineering technologies to optimize environmental and sustainable solutions, they have grown steadily in size, offerings, and geography.

Joining forces with Mead & Hunt allows Symbiont to offer clients expanded services along with the benefits of a national, full-service firm. Similarly, Mead & Hunt clients will reap the benefits of Symbiont’s design-build, renewable natural gas (RNG), and process design experience.

“Our vision for Symbiont’s future made this the perfect fit,” said Tom Bachman, previously CEO and President of Symbiont and now Group Leader at Mead & Hunt. “With expanded resources and a greater geographic and market reach, we can better holistically serve our current and future clients. In addition, Mead & Hunt shares our strong commitment to sustainability and growth to make our planet better, one project at a time.”

Founded in Wisconsin in 1900, Mead & Hunt has since expanded significantly in size and geographic reach. The firm now provides diversified services nationwide and ranks #91 on ENR’s Top 100 Design Firms. With a team of over 1200 professionals in more than 40 offices across the US, Mead & Hunt supports several key markets, including aviation, transportation, food and beverage, federal, state and local governments, and water.

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Additional quotes or background information

• Andy Platz, Mead & Hunt CEO/President
  andy.platz@meadhunt.com
  608-443-0600
• Tom Bachman, Mead & Hunt Group Leader/Former Symbiont CEO/President
  tom.bachman@meadhunt.com
  414-755-1137

General media inquiries and photo requests:

• Meghan Stiklestad, Marketing Director
  meghan.stiklestad@meadhunt.com
  608-443-0378

Additional references

• Mead & Hunt website: www.meadhunt.com
• Symbiont website:  https://www.symbiontonline.com/

Tim Christian Becomes Ownership Partner at KW2

MADISON, Wis.—KW2, one of Wisconsin’s longest-running full-service strategic marketing and communications agencies, announced today that Tim Christian has become one of its ownership partners. Christian, a thirty-year marketing veteran, has also been named the firm’s Chief Operating Officer.

Read more here

FedEx Ground Contracting Opportunities