Renewable Energy
Colorado Co-op Lines Up Solar Power
A 2-megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant could be generating power for members of a Colorado co-op in about 21 months.
A Colorado co-op is adding two megawatts of solar power to its portfolio. (Photo By: Andy Gehrig)
Officials at San Miguel Power Association, which is based in Nucla, said the co-op has entered into an agreement with global company SunEdison to develop the plant in Norwood, Colo.
The plant represents the first large-scale solar facility in the co-op’s western Colorado service territory and will account for about 2 percent of the co-op’s annual load.
“San Miguel Power is committed to providing our members with renewable energy options,” said SMPA general manager Kevin Ritter. “This project represents our goal to provide energy that is both local and renewable.”
SunEdison hopes to start construction on 40 acres in western San Miguel County this September, and finish the project by December. That way, it can start to power homes and businesses by January.
SunEdison, which manages more than 96.6 MW of photovoltaic solar power plants in North America, will install the modules and will own and operate the plant.
SMPA has contracted to purchase the electricity output from the facility for 25 years.
“This is a significant step in our relatively new direction towards sustainable energy,” said Ritter. “In the past few years SMPA has made a tremendous effort to address our members’ requests for renewable energy options.”
Ritter added that the plant will work in tandem with a base-load plant near Nucla that is owned and operated by Tri-State G&T, Westminster, Colo., “to power the daily lives of our members.”
Tags: Renewable Energy, Solar Energy