Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers visited the University of Wisconsin-Platteville on Monday, July 19, where he met with university leaders, toured the site of the soon-to-be-completed 2.4 megawatt solar array and the newly renovated Boebel Hall.
Scheduled to be operational in October, the solar array will be the largest state-owned solar array in Wisconsin and is projected to offset electricity by 17%, saving an annual $217,000 and reducing carbon emissions by 2,300 tons per year. The solar array is located on five acres of south-facing hill in UW-Platteville’s Memorial Park. Plans for the project stemmed from a 2018 petition, signed by more than 300 students, asking the university to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2030. The solar array will make UW-Platteville the sixth-highest on-site producer of renewable energy among higher education institutions in the nation.
After a presentation at the solar array, Gov. Evers toured the newly re-modeled Boebel Hall, the university’s primary science building. The building is set to re-open for fall 2021 classes after undergoing a $23.7 million renovation, which began in February 2020. The renovated building features state-of-the-art biology, environmental science and general chemistry labs and facilities.
“We were very pleased and excited to welcome Gov. Tony Evers to UW-Platteville,” said Dr. Tammy Evetovich, provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs. “The governor was highly engaged and interested in our discussions about our solar panel array and the Boebel Hall renovations. He was impressed with the university being a leader in sustainability initiatives and the partnerships we are forming across the campus that will benefit our students in many academic disciplines. I truly appreciate Amy Seeboth Wilson [UW-Platteville sustainability coordinator] and Dean Wayne Weber [Dean, College of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture] for their outstanding presentations.”