Uplands Wind will provide clean energy, economic benefits, and jobs that move Wisconsin forward. Energy from the project will connect to the electric grid and help diversify Wisconsin’s energy supply.

In just one minute, a wind turbine can power a typical Wisconsin home for an entire day!

Uplands Wind represents a total capital investment of $1 billion

Uplands Wind will generate $3 million annually for local communities hosting the project

Uplands Wind will create 450–600 jobs during construction and 12-16 permanent jobs

Uplands Wind will use local companies, services and materials

Uplands Wind is being designed as two 300 MW wind projects in Lafayette, Iowa, and Grant counties

600 megawatts (MW)

A critical step yet on our path to net-zero in Wisconsin

Wind works in Wisconsin

Economic benefits of wind projects are vast for farmers and rural communities. By leasing out some of their land to host wind turbines – which farmers can continue to farm around – rural landowners are able to incorporate this stable, long-term income into their farm business plan. With more family farms struggling to make ends meet and going out of business, these leases can be an economic lifeline. Wind leases help diversify farm income, keeping more farms productive and viable to pass onto the next generation.

Income to individual farmers, however, is only a fraction of the economic benefits that utility-scale wind projects bring. Wisconsin state law requires that owners of projects over a specified size pay into a utility aid fund that goes directly to the local communities hosting the project. For a 600-MW total project like Uplands Wind, that’s $3 million dollars per year spread across the host communities. That is a game changing amount of money.

Showing up for wind in Wisconsin

Compared to Wisconsin, Michigan’s wind capacity is four times higher. Minnesota: six times higher. Illinois: ten times higher. And Iowa: a whopping 17 times higher wind capacity than we have here in Wisconsin! Our state trails in wind energy from a lack of project development over the last decade, but recent proposals for new wind projects in our state, like Uplands Wind, are cause for excitement. Wind energy is a highly efficient, profitable, made-in-Wisconsin product that contributes to a clean and healthy environment.

There are many reasons we should be producing more homegrown energy in Wisconsin, and to do that, we need to speak up and support building new wind farms in our communities. Learn how you can support Wisconsin wind today.

Under the Lens: Mitigating bird and bat mortality at wind farms

The impact of wind turbines on birds and bats should be evaluated against the impact of current fossil fuel-based energy production. Fossil fuel use drives climate change which is a leading threat to both birds and bats.

Three Big Things

Wisconsin needs more renewable energy on the grid. Much more. And we need it fast. While the transition to clean energy is achievable, it’s no surprise that Wisconsin must drastically pick up the pace. Based on the latest data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, we’ve only installed about 3% of the solar capacity needed by 2050.