Las Animas County to see renewable project operational by 2016 Commission approves San Isabel solar garden

by Bill Knowles
TRINIDAD — The Board of Las Animas County Commissioners heard from San Isabel Electric Association and Juwi (pronounced you-wee) Inc. about their newest project, a solar farm, during the regular meeting Wednesday, November 3. 
The project will provide renewable energy to Tri-State’s 44 member distribution system and will help fulfill their Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).  The power purchase agreement (PPA) calls for the entire 30-megawatts generated by the 250 acre solar array to be sold to Tri-State.  In 2014, 24 percent of the energy Tri-State sold and delivered to cooperative members was generated from renewable resources – one of the top ratios among electric utilities nationwide.
The farm will be called the San Isabel Solar Project, and could provide up to 100 jobs during construction.  It will generate no permanent jobs once construction is completed. 
Located on nearly 300 acres east of I-25 and north of Hoehne off of Ludlow Road, the array, consisting of 100,000 solar photovoltaic panels, will ride on a single access tracker to increase efficiency in power generation.  
Based in Boulder, CO, juwi Inc. is the developer, engineering firm, procurement and construction contractor, and operator of over 1,500 large-scale renewable energy generation facilities worldwide.
The special use permit (SUP) for the project was approved by the county commission with a 3-0 vote but with four conditions attached: the applicant will spray for Russian knapweed within 30 days of the date of the resolution, the premises are to be inspected by the county weed coordinator no later than 30 days of the date of the resolution, the applicant makes an annual weed mitigation effort in coordination with the county weed coordinator, and the applicant will mitigate any dust control issues.  
In other business, all new business items were passed except the driver license agreement between Las Animas County and the State Department of Revenue.  The county deferred the agreement because of some issues with the language.  Approval for the agreement will appear on a meeting agenda at a later date.
The county commission also approved an emergency courthouse security grant in the amount of $3,382.52 for small modifications to the courthouse and items for the sheriff’s department.  The county has until December 31 to spend down the grant.
The commissioners moved into executive session after the lengthy meeting, then adjourned following the session.