Dairyland has received a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) award under the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program for two solar and energy storage projects in western Wisconsin. Dairyland successfully applied for the grant, which supports two, 2 megawatt (MW) solar energy and 4 megawatt hour (MWh) battery storage sites serving member cooperatives and tribal nations in rural Wisconsin communities.

“Dairyland is pleased to be at the forefront of energy storage deployment in rural areas,” said Dairyland President & CEO Brent Ridge (pictured speaking at the PACE announcement on Sept. 25). “We are grateful for the PACE award, which supports the development of local solar resources and the emerging technologies that will be key to the energy transition.”

The renewable energy and battery storage award was announced at an event hosted by the Wisconsin Farmers Union today in Chippewa Falls, Wis. Featured speakers included Ridge; Director, White House Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden; and USDA Rural Utilities Service Administrator Andrew Berke.

• 2 MW solar and battery storage; served by Jackson Electric Cooperative near the Ho-Chunk Nation area in Black River Falls
• 2 MW solar and battery storage; served by Jump River Electric Cooperative near the Lac Courte Oreilles, Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe area. By providing local energy during peak energy load periods, this project has reduced the need for additional power delivery infrastructure.

Both projects will supply local renewable energy while energy stored in the battery system can be deployed strategically to reduce costs and congestion during times of peak energy use. The projects will have the ability to power upwards of 1,000 homes.

“Dairyland’s mission as a cooperative is to improve quality of life in the communities we serve,” said Ridge. “By leveraging federal funding opportunities such as the PACE grant, Dairyland and our members help direct the flow of economic and environmental benefits to the region.”

About the award: The Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program is part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which represents the largest investment in rural electrification since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law in 1936. With $1 billion in funding, PACE helps make clean, affordable and reliable energy accessible to the people of rural America.