Enyo Renewable Vitality, a Utah-based firm that wishes to construct a photo voltaic manufacturing facility within the city of Mead, hit a velocity bump earlier this week.
Throughout its common assembly Monday, the Mead Board of Trustees voted unanimously to proceed the general public listening to on the Sugar Beet Photo voltaic Undertaking till April 10.
Mead Mayor Colleen Whitlow mentioned in a follow-up e mail that the listening to continues to provide the city “ample time to know why the property homeowners filed a disconnection motion earlier than the board has alternative to evaluate the deserves of the photo voltaic venture this previous Monday. .”
Positioned on the western border of the township, the 203-acre property is zoned for residential single household and basic business use.
The property is at present used for agricultural functions and there’s a residence on the positioning.
If authorized, the photovoltaic photo voltaic manufacturing facility could have an estimated life span of 40 years and can present 40 megawatts of photo voltaic technology and 25 megawatts of storage. The venture will embody PV photo voltaic arrays, underground assortment system, substation, battery power storage system and different crucial gear.
The venture’s photo voltaic panels can be gray-blue, have non-reflective surfaces and stand between 8- and 12-feet tall.
Enyo Renewable Vitality additionally plans to put aside 19 hectares of the property as open area.
“It’s our ethos to be an excellent associate to the town’s enterprise and residents. Since 2021, we’ve up to date and revised our proposal to deal with all the town’s situations and embody suggestions from residents,” mentioned Christine Mikell, principal of Enyo Renewable Vitality, in a ready assertion.
In December, the Mead Planning Fee really useful denying the venture, citing perceived conflicts with the city’s Complete Plan, amongst different considerations.
The Planning Fee additionally really useful a six-month moratorium on the event of photo voltaic power services.
“Regardless of these challenges and setbacks, we ask and encourage the town’s elected officers to stay true to the imaginative and prescient set in its personal strategic planning,” mentioned Mikell. “This imaginative and prescient consists of diversifying the financial system, creating extra open area and trails, and connecting the group – all facets that our Sugar Beet Photo voltaic venture will allow.”
The homeowners of the land the place the photo voltaic farm can be constructed have filed a petition to de-annex the property from Mead to Weld County.
The petition is scheduled to go earlier than the nineteenth Judicial District Court docket decide on March 23.
Enyo Renewable Vitality doesn’t personal the land however plans to lease and ultimately purchase it from the present homeowners – PK Mead, LLC and PK Chavez LLC.
“We respect and honor Mead and Northern Colorado’s lengthy custom of being a group that has embraced and supported the normal oil and gasoline sector,” Mikell mentioned. “Our want is to be part of all the enterprise group that contributes to the material of this Mead group and financial system.”
