Massive Solar Project Proposed to Serve 43,000 Northern Colorado Homes
Massive Solar Project Proposed to Serve 43,000 Northern Colorado Homes
Rawhide Prairie Solar Installation; Photo by Platte River Power Authority
Platte River Power Authority and 174 Power Global (174PG), through their subsidiary BHS Solar, LLC, initiated the permitting process with Weld County planners to consider a utility-scale solar generating installation.
The proposed Black Hollow Solar project, if approved by Weld County planners and commissioners, will be located northeast of Black Hollow Reservoir. The project will span between 1,000 and 1,400 acres, with the final location and layout being determined through a review of physical, environmental, and land-use constraints, and feedback from numerous stakeholders, including neighbors, state agencies, and County leaders.
FORT COLLINS The largest solar array in Northern Colorado will be built to serve the member communities of the Platte River Power Authority if Weld County planners and commissioners approve of the location.
The array, proposed to be built on 1,000 to 1,400 acres of land northeast of Black Hollow Reservoir, would deliver 355,000 megawatt hours of energy to PRPA, which is the wholesale supplier for owner cities Loveland, Longmont, Fort Collins and Estes Park. The project is to be done in conjunction with 174 Power Global , through its subsidiary BHS Solar LLC. The permitting process with Weld County has begun, according to information provided by Platte River.
Platte River Power Authority is sharing details for the first time about the Black Hollow Solar project, a 150-megawatt facility planned to begin producing power in 2023.
Black Hollow Solar is going through the permitting process in Weld County, where it would occupy 1,000-1,400 acres northeast of Black Hollow Reservoir. The site is a few miles from the Weld-Larimer county line. The permitting process will determine the exact location for the project and when construction can begin.
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The facility would be the biggest solar field in Northern Colorado, with five times the capacity of Platte River s largest existing solar project. Platte River provides power to Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont and Estes Park and is working toward a tentative goal of 100% noncarbon energy by 2030, though its recently adopted Integrated Resource Plan indicates it may fall short of the goal. Black Hollow Solar would get the power provider to the halfway point.
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The panel at BizWest’s Net Zero Cities virtual event on Tuesday included Justin Brant, the utility program co-director at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project; Darren Buck, director of power delivery at the Platte River Power Authority; Milton Geiger, energy resource director at the Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association and André Gouin, a business technology consultant at Xcel Energy of Colorado.
Handling cold snaps
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The session, moderated by BizWest managing editor Ken Amundson, included discussions about the increasing proliferation of lithium ion batteries, the emergence of new technologies for hydrogen storage and practical energy-storage applications for municipalities, businesses and residents.
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