We live in a beautiful, rural county, where families have prospered on pristine farmland and rural acreage for generations. Our rural community is safe, and it thrives on farming, agriculture and our rural way of life, and we deeply value the environmental sanctity and natural beauty that our rural landscape offers. But now, Xcel Energy seeks to install the massive King Transmission/Nine Mile Creek 5000-acre industrial solar farm spanning from Hammond Township and north/northeast through New Richmond, Baldwin, Erin Prairie, Richmond Township, Erin Corner, Jewitt, Emerald and others. This proposed plan will install millions of solar panels (approx. 2000 panels per acre - the panels are manufactured and shipped from China and other foreign countries), and hundreds of miles of fencing stretching across 5000 acres of our pristine farmlands, around residential housing developments, the Nagel Wildlife Area and other sensitive and protected wildlife areas.  The proposal also calls for the building of a massive ten-acre energy substation along with a large number of smaller buildings scattered across the solar farm tract.   

This massive industrial-sized solar farm might sound progressive on paper, but the proposal has unforeseen negative health, safety, environmental and economic consequences. If the plan comes to fruition, it will have a significant impact on our local environment, including the loss of wildlife habitat, possible soil erosion and runoff, negative human health impacts and disruption of our local agriculture industry. Furthermore, the rural scenic beauty of our community, a key factor in our property values, will be materially degraded or worse. 

Moreover, farms translate into jobs. Cutting down on farmlands means jeopardizing the livelihoods of our friends and neighbors, ultimately leading to a decrease in farming and agriculture jobs. The installation of this solar farm not only threatens the health and safety of those who live near it, but it also threatens our property values but also the very essence of our rural culture.

THE MANY NEGATIVE HEALTH, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL & ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF INDUSTRIAL SOLAR FARMS:

Health & Safety Risks:

·       The Proposed Solar Farm Entirely Surrounds Multiple Residential Developments in Hammond Township

·       Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields

·       Exposure to Stray Voltage

·       Exposure to Low Frequency Sound

·       Drinking Water Well Contamination

·       Exposure to Highly Caustic Non-Selective Vegetation Killing Chemicals

·       Massive Uncontrolled Fire Risk (there are ZERO fire departments, water hydrants or other capabilities to fight fires in the proposed 5000-Acre solar farm area)

·       Exposure to Constant Noise from Vegetation Mowing Activities

·       Exposure to Excessive Glare from the Solar Panels (approx. 2000 panels per acre)

Environmental Risks:

·       Drinking Water Well Contamination

·       Diminishes and/or Destroys Habitat for Endangered and Threatened Species (St. Croix County is home to 11 endangered and threatened species many of which live in the land of the proposed solar farm)

·       Run Off Pollution to Lakes, Rivers, Streams and Ponds

·       Massive Uncontrolled Fire Risk (there are ZERO fire departments, water hydrants or other capabilities to fight fires in the proposed solar farm area)

·       Soil Contamination from Caustic Chemicals Leaching from the Plastics, Rubber, Silicon and other Solar Panel Materials

·       Permanent Contamination of Farmland

·       Impact on Local Climate (the presence of solar panels can alter local temperature and moisture levels, potentially affecting native species)

·       Pollution from the Manufacturing Process of Solar Panels (involves hazardous materials and can generate massive pollution and improper disposal of used solar panels can lead to environmental contamination)

·       Massive Loss of Animal and Plant Habitat

·       Permanent Loss of Farmland

·       Reduction in Human Food and Animal Feed Production

Economic & Other Risks:

·       Decimation of Property Values (due to the massive industrial blight, health and safety risks created by solar farms – the proposed solar farm completely surrounds multiple residential developments in Hammond Township)

·       Loss of Agricultural Jobs

·       Loss of Tourism Dollars

·       Drives up Land Prices Decreasing Farms and Increasing Housing Prices (industrial solar farms drive up land prices, making it more expensive for local farmers and residents to purchase or lease land)

·       Degradation of Rural Culture and Rural Communities

WHAT WE WANT:

·       We want St. Croix County (and impacted townships) to regulate the Solar Farm due to its negative impacts to area residents’ health, safety and welfare pursuant to Section 66.0401 of the Wisconsin Statutes.

·       We want St. Croix County (and impacted townships) to formally intervene in the Wisconsin Public Services Commission’s review of Xcel Energy’s application (expected to be filed in January 2025) to advocate for the interests of St. Croix County residents and the many negative health, safety and other economic risks presented by the solar farm.

·       We want the entire solar farm project to be stopped to protect the health, welfare and safety of area residents, wildlife and the environment and to protect area residents from the catastrophic impacts on property values and quality of life.  

·       If the solar farm project is allowed to proceed, we want it to be greatly reduced in size to minimize its many negative impacts on the environment, wildlife and local residents.

·       If the solar farm is allowed to proceed, we demand that it be moved out and far away (1 mile minimum) from residential housing developments (most of which are located in Hammond Township) and elsewhere in order to reduce the negative impacts on the health and safety of the residents of those residential housing developments and to protect their property values.

·      If the solar farm project is allowed to proceed, we demand that it be moved out and far away from individual houses that have NOT signed lease/purchase agreements with Xcel Energy to lease or sell their land to facilitate the solar farm project.

·       If the solar farm is allowed to proceed, we demand that it be moved out and away from all sensitive natural wildlife and natural resource areas including, without limitation, the Nagel Wildlife Management Area and the Casey Lake State Wildlife Area.

·       Solar Farms are NOT Zero Carbon Energy Sources:  Before the Wisconsin PSC and Wisconsin DNR consider granting any aspect of Xcel Energy’s application for the solar farm project, we want Xcel Energy to be required to conduct and submit a through and comprehensive study (the “Study”) to accurately measure and document the true environmental impact of large scale industrial solar farms of this type including, without limitation, all of the following measures;

·   Carbon emissions and other pollution generated in association with the raw material sourcing for solar panels, perimeter security fencing, building construction, road construction and other primary materials needed to construct the 5000-acre solar farm (collectively “Construction Materials”);

·   Carbon emissions and other pollution generated in association with the entire manufacturing process of the solar panels and all other Construction Materials;

·   Carbon emissions and other pollution generated in association with the entire transportation process of the solar panels and all other Construction Materials from their country of origin all the way to their final destination upon installation including, without limitation, all of the following;

·   Road and rail transportation of solar panels and all other Construction Materials from foreign based manufacturing plants (e.g., China, Viet Nam, etc.) to ocean ports;

·   Marine transportation of solar panels and all other Construction Materials from foreign ocean ports to U.S. ocean ports;

·   Road and rail transportation of solar panels and all other Construction Materials from U.S. ocean ports to final destination sites in St. Croix County Wisconsin;     

·   Carbon emissions and all other pollution (including run off and ground water pollution) generated from the construction and maintenance of the Solar Farm for its entire life span from creation to decommissioning including, without limitation, all of the following;

• Use of electric and combustion engine-based machines to grade the solar farm property, construct roads, construct buildings, place solar panels, etc.
• Spraying of chemicals to control vegetation;
• Use of electric and combustion engine-based machines to cut and otherwise control vegetation;
• What percentage of solar panels, security fencing, roads and buildings and other materials are recyclable;
• Carbon emissions and other pollution (including pollution to soil and ground water) associated with the recycling process;

·   The Study must include an estimate of the total yearly energy produced by the solar farm (“Total Solar Energy Production” or “TSEP”);

 ·  The Study must include an aggregation of all carbon emissions and other pollution mentioned above (“Total Solar Pollution”) and compare that figure to the aggregation of carbon emissions and other pollution generated from the King Plant to produce energy equivalent to the TSEP and include an evidence backed conclusion as to whether or not the solar farm’s Total Solar Pollution figure is less than the total pollution generated by the King Plant.  

If the solar farm is allowed to proceed, we want Xcel Energy to utilize the existing power substation located at the intersection of Country Road E and State Highway 65 which is less than 5 miles from the proposed building site of the new massive 10-acre substation (located in close proximity to residential houses) at the intersection of County Road E and 170th Street.

If the solar farm is allowed to proceed, we demand that Xcel Energy be required to install tall earth berms around the entire perimeter of the solar farm with fast growing trees and other vegetation planted on the berms to aid in masking the massive blight created by the solar farm.

Conclusion:

This issue is personal. Our health, our farmlands, our homes, our rural communities, the natural habitat and our rural lifestyle and culture are at risk. We need to show Xcel Energy that rural communities hold value that goes way beyond their commercial pursuit of profit. To make matters worse, the energy produced by this massive industrial solar farm in St. Croix County will be sent back across the border to Minnesota via the King Transmission Line.  We must unite and protect the health and safety of our residents, our rural Wisconsin landscape, natural habitat, property values and livelihoods from this massive industrial encroachment. Sign this petition and help us preserve human health and safety as well as the environment and our rural St. Croix County for generations to come.