Walnut Way Conservation Corp. has secured $1.1 million to develop a one-megawatt community solar project in Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights, with solar installations at multiple North Side sites expected to be operating by December 2027. The nonprofit announced the funding Oct. 3 at its annual Harvest Day event. It is working with Milwaukee-area solar company Sun Bear Industries to develop and own the infrastructure, which Walnut Way says will help support community services as well as produce renewable electricity. The project, called the Milwaukee Interagency Resiliency and Access Centers for Learning and Equity, or MIRACLE, is planned as a network of “resiliency hubs.” Walnut Way says the sites could include workforce development, a Healthy Homes Hub and other neighborhood resources. Funding includes a $1 million recoverable grant from the McKnight Foundation, in partnership with Communities First Fund, and a $100,000 grant from the Daybreak Fund. The Daybreak funding will support stormwater measures such as bioswales and native plantings at solar gardens along parking lots and vacant lots, said Chandra Ellis, Walnut Way’s development director. Those features can help reduce urban heat and manage flooding, she said. Walnut Way is starting with properties it owns, including the Innovations and Wellness Commons near North 16th Street and West North Avenue, as well as 12 vacant lots. The organization has also completed feasibility studies for potential hubs at North Division High School and the former Social Development Commission headquarters. Walnut Way is negotiating with Forward Community Investments to acquire the former SDC buildings and parking lots near West North Avenue and North 18th Street by the end of the year, Ellis said. The property already has some solar infrastructure. If acquired, it could house weatherization and energy-efficiency services, including an appliance-swap program supported by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funding. Walnut Way Executive Director Antonio Butts said residents had repeatedly asked how they could keep more money in their households. The organization became a legal intervener in We Energies rate cases several years ago, he said, partly to pursue community-owned renewable energy. “Power is an asset, and that’s what we’re looking to own here in Walnut Way,” said Isaiah Ness, Sun Bear Industries’ CEO and founder. For now, the electricity generated would reduce bills at the project sites. Walnut Way plans to use those savings to support services and programming there, Butts said. Wisconsin does not have a law authorizing broader community-solar projects in which households or businesses subscribe and receive credits on their utility bills, limiting how the project can directly benefit residents. Walnut Way intends to keep advocating for rules that would allow community solar and battery storage to benefit residents and the wider grid. The nonprofit estimates that one megawatt of solar can supply the equivalent of 150 to 220 homes. Butts said the organization hopes to develop 50 megawatts of community-owned solar over roughly eight years, a buildout that would require an additional $49 million. The project comes as many Milwaukee-area households struggle with energy costs. An analysis by Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and Wisconsin Watch found that We Energies disconnected 36,653 households in Milwaukee-area ZIP codes for falling behind on bills in 2025. Walnut Way is consulting prospective host sites and related boards and plans to establish a governance structure, Butts said. Canaan Baptist Church, north of Lindsay Heights, is planned as a flagship faith-based partner. The Rev. Fredrick Jones, the church’s pastor, said the congregation supports the project because lower electricity costs could free up money for services to neighbors.