Solar permitting — Oconto County, Wisconsin
492 indexed meetings (70 energy-related), 1 news item.
NE WI agricultural; Oconto area; active solar in agricultural areas; local CUP. Permitting: Oconto County: CUP in Agricultural/Industrial district for projects <100 MW.; 200-ft setback. Track record: denial on record — Fox Solar Proj…
Permitting process
Local permitting pathway
Oconto County: CUP in Agricultural/Industrial district for projects <100 MW.
Setbacks & buffers
Wisconsin sets NO statewide numeric setback for utility-scale solar. A facility of 100 MW or greater needs a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the PSC (s. 196.491(3)(a)1.); below that threshold, PSC approval is generally required only for a public utility and does not address siting. Local restrictions are constrained by s. 66.0401(1m), which bars a political subdivision from restricting a solar energy system unless the restriction protects public health or safety, does not significantly increase cost or decrease efficiency, or allows a comparable alternative — and Ecker Brothers v. Calumet County, 2009 WI App 112, holds that this requires a case-by-case approach rather than a one-size-fits-all ordinance. In practice setbacks are set per project in local operating or joint development agreements — NOTE: the distances above are a STATE-level fallback, not a figure read from this county's own ordinance. We hold siting-rule records for this county which may include a stricter local limit we have not yet extracted. Verify against the county's own ordinance before relying on these.
Spacing requirements
None codified.
Size restrictions
None codified; managed via CUP/SUP conditions
Penalties & bonding
No penalties or adjustments. Standard CUP/SUP process.
State-level permits & approvals
PSC of Wisconsin has siting authority for wind/solar ≥100 MW (Wis. Stat. §196.491). Projects <100 MW: local CUP/SUP under county/town zoning governs. Local restrictions on wind systems must meet one of 3 conditions: (1) public health/safety; (2) not significantly increase cost/decrease efficiency; (3) allows comparable alternative. Local solar restrictions face similar reasonableness standard. No statewide preemption below 100 MW threshold — strong local control. MISO interconnection territory statewide.
Full records for this county are part of a SitePath subscription.
State policy & grid context
State RPS & clean energy policy
10% by 2015 (met, no update) | Act 141 (2005) | Wis. Stat. §196.378
State incentive programs
Wisconsin RPS: 10% renewable by 2015 (met — weakest in region). Focus on Energy program: commercial/industrial rebates for solar ($150-450/kW for ≤25 kW). Property tax exemption: Wis. Stat. §70.111(18) — solar systems exempt from property tax assessment. Sales tax exemption: Wis. Stat. §77.54(57m) — solar equipment purchases exempt. Wisconsin Green Energy program: voluntary renewable program through WPS, MGE, We Energies. Alliant WPL (WI) has deployed ~1,089 MW solar by 2024; Vista Sands (1,315 MW Portage Co.) approved June 2025 — largest WI solar project. Utility: We Energies (WEC) serves SE WI/Milwaukee; WPS (WEC) serves NE WI; Alliant Energy (WPL) serves central/southern WI; MGE serves Madison metro; Xcel NSPW serves far NW WI; Dairyland Power Coop and WPPI Energy serve rural areas.
Grid & interconnection
MISO / WPS (Wisconsin Public Service) zone
Full records for this county are part of a SitePath subscription.
Battery storage (BESS) P1 State-Default Permitting
No standalone county BESS ordinance confirmed.
BESS ordinances & bylaws
County-level battery-storage status, safety requirements, and projects — each linked to a primary source.
Community opposition P1
No organized opposition on record for this county yet — no petition, group, or oppositional coverage tracked. Read that as nothing found, not as nothing there: absence of records is not evidence of local support.
Subscriber intel Subscribers
Researched for this county and available with a subscription:
- 🔒Project track record
- 🔒Developer intelligence
- 🔒Governing board
Energy-related meetings & dockets P1
Halo color matches the energy category tagged on each meeting.
- 2026-09-01 Utility BoardData Center
The Planning Commission voted to approve the Data Center Moratorium proposal.
- 2026-08-20 County BoardSolar
The county discussed the Fox Solar Project Update.
- 2026-08-13 OtherSolar
Fox Solar Project Update was discussed with no formal action taken.
- 2026-08-12 OtherSolar
The Fox Solar Project Update was discussed and approved by the Planning Commission.
- 2026-08-12 OtherSolar
Fox Solar Project Update 6.9. Brazeau Dive Team Report 7.
- 2026-08-04 OtherSolar
Oconto County discussed a Local Operating Agreement with Fox Solar, LLC
- 2026-07-28 OtherSolar
Fox Solar LLC Project Update/Information 6. Hazardous Material Response Team 7.
- 2026-07-28 OtherSolar
Oconto County Administrator reported on the draft Joint Development Agreement for the Fox Solar LLC Project
- 2026-07-23 County BoardSolar
Committee and Departmental Reports (No Action to be taken) 11.1.Health & Human Services Board Update 11.2.Human Resources Employee Update Employee Update.pdf 11.3.Land Sale Bid Acceptance Report – Information Only Land Sale Bid Acceptance…
- 2026-07-23 OtherSolar
Fox Solar Project Update Richard Heath, County Administrator, presented the Fox Solar Project Update.
- 2026-07-21 Utility BoardData Center
The Oconto County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a data center ordinance that would enact a moratorium on data centers and battery energy storage systems.
- 2026-07-16 OtherSolar
Fox Solar Project Update was discussed without formal action taken.
- 2026-07-16 OtherSolar
PSC approved a solar project in the Town of Morgan, awaiting final ruling.
- 2026-07-15 OtherSolar
Fox Solar Project Update 7. Review Late Vendor Invoice Payment – Cooks Direct (Enc.) 8.
- 2026-07-15 OtherSolar
7.8 Fox Solar Project Update Richard Heath, County Administrator, presented the Fox Solar Project Update .
- 2026-07-07 OtherData Center
Oconto County discussed a Data Center Moratorium proposal.
- 2026-06-18 County BoardSolar
Committee and Departmental Reports (No Action to be taken) 11.1.Health & Human Services Board Update 11.2.Human Resources Employee Update 05-May 2026.pdf 11.3.Land Sale Bid Acceptance Report – (No Report for June 2026) 11.4.TEDCOR (Tourism
- 2026-06-18 OtherSolar
Public Comment There were two speakers for item #11.6 Fox Solar Project Update: Jolene Barkhaus, Town of Abrams resident, and Lori Witthuhn, Town of Morgan Chair.
- 2026-06-11 OtherSolar
PSC approved a solar project in the Town of Morgan, awaiting final ruling.
- 2026-06-10 OtherSolar
Fox Solar Project Update 7. Announcements/General Information (No Action to be Taken) 8.
- 2026-06-10 OtherSolar
County Administrator presented an update on the Fox Solar Project.
- 2026-06-02 Utility BoardSolar
Update on Fox Solar, LLC approved Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
- 2026-06-02 OtherSolar
The Public Service Commission conditionally approved the Fox Solar Project, but the County is considering appealing this decision.
- 2026-05-26 OtherSolar
Fox Solar LLC Project Update/Information 6. Hazardous Material Response Team 7.
- 2026-05-26 OtherSolar
Committee members expressed concerns about being excluded from an emergency planning process related to a solar project.
- 2026-05-05 Utility BoardSolar
Discuss possible text amendments to the Zoning Districts to aid in local site plan reviews for the Town of Little Suamico Hwy 41/141 Corridor Master Plan.
- 2026-05-05 OtherSolar
Oconto County discussed a solar project's Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity filing with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
- 2026-04-07 Utility BoardSolar
Fox Solar, LLC filed for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) with the Wisconsin Public Service Commission.
- 2026-04-07 OtherSolar
Fox Solar, LLC filed for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) and public hearings were held.
- 2026-03-24 OtherSolar
Discussion of a solar project
Full records for this county are part of a SitePath subscription.
State PSC dockets P1
No tracked activity yet — coverage expands weekly.
Local news P3
Filter by grade, state, moratorium status, and compliance stringency. Compare counties side by side.