SAGUACHE COUNTY — Horus Energy, a London-based company, has partnered with the American subsidiary of Denmark-based European Energy to develop a 1,000-acre solar energy production farm in Saguache County, west of Moffat.

The proposed solar farm will produce 170MW of electricity, enough to power the equivalent of 34,000 homes.

In an interview with the Valley Courier, Georgi Velkov with Horus, said the company owns about two-thirds of the 1,000-acre site and the remainder will be leased from a private owner. The total investment is about $250 million and will employ a peak of about "1,500 jobs at least with construction and operation," according to Velkov. He added the company hopes to break ground in 2026 and if everything goes according to schedule it will be operational in 2028.

The ground-mounted solar generation facility may be built to facilitate agrivoltaics and is something under consideration said Velkov who added the company has employed agrivoltaics at a solar farm in Texas. Agrivoltaics combines traditional agriculture with solar panels above plants or grazing on the land below.

Horus Energy states it, "Has one of the best track records in the renewable energy sector with expertise ranging from greenfield development to construction and operation of solar assets." The company is owned by Horus Capital, a London-based private equity firm.

As part of its business model, EE Energy company documents state, "each step involves interaction with various stakeholders, such as local communities, investors, etc."

The project will employ up to 1,500 workers during construction. The proposed project will be built in rural Saguache County, where the workers will live is a mystery. Velkov told the Valley Courier, "This is something that will be discussed as the contractor who will be engaged to construct the asset, too early to say at this stage." It remains unknown how many employees will remain after construction Velkov said, "Jobs will be created for the operation of the asset, again too early to confirm if those will be local employees but all options will be considered when that stage approaches."

When asked how much tax revenue this will bring into Saguache County over the next decade, Velkov said, "We have just commissioned the economic impact analysis for this project, and that will likely form part of our submission to the county. Once that is submitted it will be available for the public as well."

According to the company, the project is called the Sand Dune Solar Project, and it would be the first of its kind within Saguache County, a Photovoltaic Solar farm with panels similar to those many people place upon their homes.

Company documents claim "These are not large or tall panels, with their height ranging from 5 feet to 8 feet at max tilt. Additionally, the panels will be connected to battery energy storage systems to preserve the electricity created on high sun days for times when the production would be low. This project will tie into the local grid and will benefit the greater community's electrical efficiency and resiliency.

"Features and benefits of this project include:

Road improvements agreed upon with the county around the project site for construction;

Colorado Parks and Wildlife recommended wildlife-friendly fencing;

Short panels that will not be visible once outside a 2-mile radius;

Preservation of native vegetation, through pile driving, non-invasive construction practices (such as no grading), and reseeding of areas disturbed;

Exploring options to design a wildlife corridor to continue to preserve the migration movements of local wildlife such as Elk;

High tax income to the county to continue local improvements;

Donations and support to local organizations;

Economic benefits include putting money back into the economy during construction and operation with local employment and use of local businesses for lodging and food;

Room for grazing to continue within the project for cattle and/or sheep;

Clean energy for the County."

Last fall, Denver-based Korsail Energy announced a 135 megawatt (MW) solar energy facility that will include a 72 MW storage facility located on 730 acres about 2.5 miles west of Alamosa.

According to the company, "Korsail Energy develops innovative community-oriented renewable energy projects from start to finish. Our mission is to provide inexpensive, carbon-free energy to rural communities."

That project, known as the Cornfield Solar, is expected to create at least 600 jobs during the estimated 16-month construction phase slated to begin in June 2025; pending regulatory approval.

Horus Energy held a neighborhood meeting on Feb. 22 regarding the Sand Dunes Solar Project in Saguache and will hold a community informational meeting on March 19 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Saguache Community Center at 525 7th St. in Saguache. The goal of the meeting is to share information about the project and to hear feedback from the community. The meeting will include a presentation from the company and a Q&A session with company representatives.

Geogri Vellow can be reached by the public at [email protected] and the project website is www. Sanddunessolarproject.com.