Germantown commission turns down 35-acre solar project

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Plans for a 35-acre solar energy project in Germantown were turned down by a local commission after pushback from village residents.

The Village of Germantown Plan Commission on Monday voted against a proposal from Seattle-based OneEnergy Development for a solar energy facility at N144 W12531 Pioneer Road. The developer sought a conditional use permit, which will go to the Village Board on Nov. 3 with an unfavorable mark from the commission.

The proposed facility will have solar modules and collection equipment that will deliver power to the grid serving local We Energies customers, plans showed. The facility will have capacity of six megawatts, capable of serving 1,400 households. The project calls for solar modules mounted on single-axis racking, around 24 inverters to convert electricity for distribution, and transformers.

Robert Overmier owns the land and is working with OneEnergy to create the solar field, located on a larger 57-acre parcel. The property is currently farmland.

However, their proposal met opposition from at least a dozen residents, TMJ4 reported. Some said they were against the loss of farmland and others said they didn’t like how the proposed site looked.

Dubbed “Lime Kiln Solar,” the project will have a lifespan of 30-50 years and will use around 30 union workers at the height of construction, project plans showed.

“Our approach to solar development, engineering, and construction is low-impact and dual use,” OneEnergy officials wrote.

Officials said the area beneath and around the panels will be planted with a perennial pollinator mix to improve runoff and erosion control and enhance soil fertility over the lifetime of the project. The field will also have 8-foot fences to exclude deer, like ones used around an orchard. The area around the project will continue to be farmed, they added.

If the project gets final approval, construction is expected to take four to six months and will be completed in 2026 or 2027, depending on permitting and approvals.

OneEnergy has solar energy projects across the country, including 55 in the Midwest and 39 of them in Wisconsin.