WI AB493

Retail electric customers of investor-owned utilities may subscribe to community solar facilities and receive bill credits for electricity generated, with subscribers and facilities required to be in the same utility service territory

Community solar facilities are capped at 1,750 megawatts statewide, with capacity apportioned among utilities based on their share of total electric load; facilities placed in service after December 31, 2035 are prohibited from enrolling

Facilities must have at least 3 subscribers, generate no more than 5 megawatts (or 20 megawatts on rooftops/previously developed sites), and no single subscriber may hold more than 40% interest in facility output

Municipalities with zoning authority must approve community solar facility locations by two-thirds vote of the governing body before building permits can be issued; facilities are subject to local zoning ordinances and property taxation

Public Service Commission must promulgate rules within 13 months including requirements for decommissioning plans, financial responsibility proof, land use standards for native vegetation/pollinator habitat, and a $20 minimum monthly bill floor that credits cannot reduce below