Organic Valley Goes 100% Renewable through Community Solar

Organic Valley reached its goal of 100 percent renewable electricity by partnering with OneEnergy Renewables and the Upper Midwest Municipal Energy Group (UMMEG) to develop community-scale solar projects. Because Wisconsin is a regulated utility market, the cooperative avoided direct power purchase agreements in favor of a partnership that developed 12 MW of solar for Organic Valley and an additional 17 MW for nearby communities, totaling 29 MW. Organic Valley secures its renewable energy by purchasing all renewable energy certificates (RECs) for the life of the projects. The initiative also incorporates pollinator-friendly solar standards, planting native wildflowers to support bee and butterfly habitats.

• Organic Valley transitioned to 100 percent renewable electricity by forming a partnership with developer OneEnergy Renewables and the Upper Midwest Municipal Energy Group (UMMEG), a municipal joint action agency serving 15 members in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota.
• The partnership developed approximately 29 MW of new solar installations, with 12 MW dedicated to Organic Valley facilities and 17 MW providing power equivalent to roughly 3,000 homes in nearby communities. This effort is expected to increase solar energy use in Wisconsin by 15 percent.
• Due to the constraints of Wisconsin's regulated utility market, Organic Valley opted for a community solar approach over a direct power purchase agreement (PPA). The cooperative maintains its commitment by purchasing all renewable energy certificates (RECs) for the duration of the projects, while UMMEG holds a 25-year PPA with the project.
• The project implements pollinator-friendly solar standards, following a Minnesota state standard that encourages planting native plants and wildflowers. This creates habitat for bees and butterflies equivalent to 30,000 families each planting six-by-twelve-foot gardens.

APA

RMI (2017). Organic Valley Goes 100% Renewable through Community Solar. https://rmi.org/resources/organic-valley-goes-100-renewable-community-solar/

Chicago

RMI. Organic Valley Goes 100% Renewable through Community Solar. 2017. https://rmi.org/resources/organic-valley-goes-100-renewable-community-solar/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Organic Valley Goes 100% Renewable through Community Solar |date=8 November 2017 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/organic-valley-goes-100-renewable-community-solar/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2017organic, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Organic Valley Goes 100\% Renewable through Community Solar}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/organic-valley-goes-100-renewable-community-solar/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }