City Council signs letter of intent but doesn’t approve the solar project

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WFHR / WIRI) – The Wisconsin Rapids Common Council met for over three hours on Tuesday for their monthly meeting. The topic dominating most of the meeting was the solar power project proposal from the Water Works and Lighting Commission.

Several meetings have already happened on this topic. A public hearing held during the Planning Commission meeting on December 1st heard from residents who were mostly against the project – but more specifically against the location.

Council agrees to sign letter of intent for the solar project

The council voted 5 to 3 to sign a letter of intent regarding the solar project; however, Mayor Matt Zacher tells WFHR this doesn’t guarantee that the project will happen. What the letter of intent does, is make it possible to apply for clean energy tax credits before they are phased out in 2026.

“ Basically saying at December 31st, if you have a letter of intent, that is good enough to get you the incentives, if you decide to move forward with the project,” explains Zacher. “If we decide not to, then it’s a done deal. We don’t do anything we don’t need. We’re not promising anything. We’re not breaking contracts.”

Zacher says this signed letter allows the conversations around the solar project to continue into January.

Clean energy tax credits are going away

Implemented by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, these clean energy tax credits are being phased out and terminated by the enactment of legislation commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. To qualify for these credits, construction would need to begin before July 4, 2026 and/or placed in service before December 31, 2027.

Shared roads will soon be open to ATV/UTV traffic

The Council also voted to open some shared roads to ATV and UTV traffic. Wisconsin Rapids roads are closed except for 600 feet of Griffith/CTH Z shared with Wood County. People who live on these shared roads can only travel one direction.

“All we’re really doing is saying ok, those roads are now open on both sides. So, people that leave can actually come back home now.”

The council voted 4 to 4, Mayor Zacher broke the tie to open shared roads to ATV/UTV traffic.