County approves community 12-acre solar farm

ALAMOSA — Alamosa residents will soon be able to tap into solar energy to lower their utility bills. Oakleaf Energy Partners’ 12-acre community-scale farm, whose special use permit Alamosa County Commissioners approved on Wednesday, will break ground in 2018.

The solar farm will have fixed panels facing south to receive maximum sun exposure. Standing roughly seven to nine feet off of the ground, they aren’t expected to block any views while generating two megawatts of power.

The Denver-based company has worked with Denver International Airport, the Denver Housing Authority and Colorado’s Department of Corrections. Their new site will sit just south of County Road 8 South and west of Highway 285, near First Solar’s planned 255-acre, 30-megawatt utility-scale farm.

“This is a good location for this,” said Alamosa County Commissioner Michael Yohn, “and it’s a good, reputable company.”

“We’ve always been real supportive of solar in our area and I think we’re going to be seeing more and more of these,” added Alamosa County Commissioner Darius Allen. “I think the technology is starting to improve more and more.”