4.6MW Landfill Solar Expansion Project in Milwaukee, USA, Commissioned

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 15, the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, announced that its 4.6MW solar expansion project on a closed landfill near Mitchell International Airport was officially put into operation. After the expansion, the total solar capacity at the site increased from approximately 2.2MW to approximately 6.85MW, making it the largest solar project in Milwaukee to date.

The project is located at 1600 E College Avenue, and the original solar array was completed in 2021. This expansion added approximately 5.97MWdc and 4.6MWac of capacity. It is owned by the utility company We Energies, with SunVest responsible for engineering design and construction. The project was implemented through the Renewable Pathway Program, which received state regulatory approval via We Energies. The Milwaukee Common Council previously approved the expansion project in 2024 and planned for it to be put into operation in September 2026.

Because the project is built on top of a closed landfill and is adjacent to the airport and Air National Guard facilities, the engineering design needed to simultaneously satisfy landfill cap protection and construction restrictions around the airport. SunVest adopted a ballasted, non-penetrating racking system that secures modules through structural self-weight, without driving piles or anchors into the ground, thereby avoiding damage to the landfill cover. This type of design also enables closed land that would otherwise be difficult for traditional development to continue serving a new energy generation function.

After the expansion was commissioned, 80 municipal buildings in Milwaukee have achieved 100% renewable electricity supply, covering public facilities such as fire stations, libraries, and police stations. In addition to the College Avenue landfill project, Milwaukee has also deployed an approximately 6MW Caledonia solar project through the Renewable Pathway Program to provide renewable energy for more municipal buildings.

The Milwaukee city government regards landfill solar as an important component of decarbonizing urban public assets. After the completion of the expansion at this site, it not only increased the proportion of renewable energy in municipal electricity use, but also formed an implementation model combining reuse of closed land, centralized solar construction, and green power procurement for public buildings. The city government's 2026 climate action progress materials have listed the newly added 4.6MW landfill solar project as an important new energy project of the year.