La Plata County evaluation has halted the proposed Hesperus Photo voltaic till California-based Primergy corrects a number of deficiencies within the software for the 155-megawatt, industrial-scale photo voltaic facility. Primergy should obtain county approval to construct the five hundred,000-panel undertaking on 1,920 acres of Essential Wildlife Habitat, 10 miles southwest of Durango.
On Jan. 4, county workers filed half considered one of a two-part Willpower of Completeness, addressing 113-some deficiencies, which Primergy’s software should full earlier than evaluation for the requirement can proceed. constructing allow.
Along with the five hundred,000 panels, which is able to cowl an space bigger than the floor of Lake Nighthorse, Primergy proposes to construct a 155-megawatt substation and a lithium-ion battery storage facility in a rural agricultural setting. soils and excessive Colorado plateau vegetation. Not one of the generated energy can be used domestically.
Half One of many County’s Completeness Willpower requires a couple of sentence guarantees and seeks particulars for 1) why the county wants the undertaking; 2) county advantages (past speculative taxes); (3) efforts to determine different areas; (4) why that is the most effective use of the 1,920 hectares; (5) handle impacts to residents and demanding wildlife habitat; (6) emergency procedures for wildfire and different hazards; and (7) impacts on water high quality and amount, and the aquifer that feeds Lengthy Hole Reservoir. See extra in entry 1.4.2023, https://cityview.laplata.co.us/Planning/Standing?planningId=14942
If Half Two, carried out by county guide ERO Sources, is accomplished, Primergy may have 60 days to “full” its software. If Primergy fails to make the required corrections, no additional evaluation by the county will happen and the allow won’t be issued. If the corrections are accepted, the appliance will transfer to “content material evaluation” by county workers to find out whether or not Hesperus Photo voltaic is in compliance with all land use rules. After a public listening to, the county commissioners will approve or deny the required allow.
Hesperus Photo voltaic shouldn’t be constructed on 1,920 acres, categorised by CPW as Essential Wildlife Habitat, prime elk and deer migration areas, and winter vary.
Different wildlife presently utilizing the acreage embrace black bear, Gunnison’s prairie canine, bald and golden eagles, peregrine falcon, turkey, Botta’s pocket gopher, Townsend’s big-eared bat, burrowing owls, bobcat, mountain lion and presumably lynx, leopard frogs, Southwest. willowflycatcher and yellow-billed cuckoo throughout migration.
California-based Primergy has no native ties, won’t create significant native jobs, and can add strain to the native housing market and infrastructure with its 250 short-term workers inside a 12 months of development. LPEA doesn’t buy any of the electrical energy generated. All generated energy is transmitted by way of Tri-State Era and Transmission to areas past southwest Colorado.
The event of photo voltaic vitality ought to be supported, if executed responsibly. Constructing 500,000 photo voltaic panels, a substation and a storage facility on conventional agricultural land and wildlife habitat, clearing the Colorado Plateau of vegetation and reworking the agricultural residential space which is an industrial zone just isn’t accountable placement.
Hesperus Photo voltaic should be positioned on degraded or destroyed land, such because the websites of decommissioned coal-burning vegetation. Analysis exhibits that greater than sufficient of those lands exist to fulfill the wants of the US and the world for sustainable vitality growth.
The destruction of the clear setting shouldn’t occur with extra efforts to save lots of the setting utilizing different vitality.
County residents ought to advocate that the county commissioners deny the allow by submitting feedback at https://www.co.laplata.co.us/companies/community_development_services/planning/faq_-_primergy_solar.php.
County residents should attend public hearings for the appliance, expressing their assist for wildlife and their opposition to the destruction of pristine land with out native profit.
County commissioners should deny Primergy’s software, if it makes it by way of the evaluation course of.
Barry Spear, a La Plata County resident and retired lawyer, joined the group StopHesperusSolar.
