Enyo Renewable Power, a Utah-based firm that desires to construct a photo voltaic manufacturing facility within the city of Mead, hit a pace 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 Venture till April 10.
Mead Mayor Colleen Whitlow stated in a follow-up electronic mail that the listening to continues to provide the city “adequate time to grasp why the property homeowners filed a disconnection motion earlier than the board had a chance to overview the deserves of the photo voltaic challenge this previous Monday.”
Situated 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 location.
If authorised, the photovoltaic photo voltaic manufacturing facility can have an estimated life span of 40 years and can present 40 megawatts of photo voltaic technology and 25 megawatts of storage. The challenge will embody PV photo voltaic arrays, underground assortment system, substation, battery power storage system and different crucial gear.
The challenge’s photo voltaic panels can be gray-blue, have non-reflective surfaces and stand between 8- and 12-feet tall.
Enyo Renewable Power additionally plans to put aside 19 hectares of the property as open house.
“It’s our ethos to be companion to town’s enterprise and residents. Since 2021, we now have up to date and revised our proposal to deal with all town’s circumstances and embody suggestions from residents,” stated Christine Mikell, Enyo Renewable Power principal, in a ready assertion.
In December, the Mead Planning Fee really useful denying the challenge, citing perceived inconsistencies 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 town’s elected officers to stay true to the imaginative and prescient set in its personal strategic planning,” stated Mikell. “This imaginative and prescient consists of diversifying the financial system, creating extra open house and trails, and connecting the neighborhood – all facets that our Sugar Beet Photo voltaic challenge 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 Power doesn’t personal the land however plans to lease and finally 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 neighborhood that has embraced and supported the normal oil and gasoline sector,” Mikell stated. “Our want is to be part of your entire enterprise neighborhood that contributes to the material of this neighborhood and the financial system of Mead.”
