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 mission on 1,920 acres of Essential Wildlife Habitat, 10 miles southwest of Durango.
On Jan. 4, county workers filed half one in all 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 might be used regionally.
Half One of many County’s Completeness Willpower requires multiple sentence guarantees and seeks particulars for 1) why the county wants the mission; 2) county advantages (past speculative taxes); (3) efforts to determine different places; (4) why that is the perfect 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 Assets, is accomplished, Primergy could 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 is not going to 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, which CPW has labeled as Essential Wildlife Habitat, prime elk and deer migration areas, and winter vary.
Different wildlife at the moment utilizing the acreage embody 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 probably lynx, leopard frogs, Southwest. willowflycatcher and yellow-billed cuckoo throughout migration.
California-based Primergy has no native ties, is not going to create significant native jobs, and can add stress to the native housing market and infrastructure with its 250 momentary workers inside a yr of building. LPEA doesn’t buy any of the electrical energy generated. All generated energy is transmitted via Tri-State Era and Transmission to areas past southwest Colorado.
The event of photo voltaic power ought to be supported, if completed responsibly. The development of 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 remodeling the agricultural residential space which is an industrial zone will not be accountable placement.
Hesperus Photo voltaic should be positioned on degraded or destroyed land, such because the websites of decommissioned coal-burning crops. Analysis reveals that greater than sufficient of those lands exist to satisfy the wants of the US and the world for sustainable power growth.
The destruction of the clear setting mustn’t occur with extra efforts to avoid wasting the setting utilizing different power.
County residents ought to advocate that the county commissioners deny the allow by submitting feedback at https://www.co.laplata.co.us/providers/community_development_services/planning/faq_-_primergy_solar.php.
County residents should attend public hearings for the appliance, expressing their help 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 via the evaluation course of.
Barry Spear, a La Plata County resident and retired lawyer, joined the group StopHesperusSolar.
