A 151-acre solar farm may soon be built just to just to the north of the Interstate in Grand Junction, Colorado that will be capable of generating up to 48 megawatts of power, enough to supply the needs of nearly 15,000 homes.
The solar panel project will belong to the energy company Solar Gen, which is based in Denver.
As planned, the solar farm will be built on desert property owned by the Colorado State Land Board.
Earlier this month members of the Mesa County Board of Commissioners gave their approval to Solar Gen for a conditional use permit for the property.
In making a presentation to the commissioners, Carmine Iadarola, chief executive officer of Solar Gen, remarked that the land in its current condition “doesn’t impact economically a community,” whereas the proposed solar farm would be good for both energy production and employment.
Revenue from leasing the land would go to a State Land Board initiative providing funding for public school needs.
In endorsing the project, the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel said the solar farm will “add renewable energy to the grid, add revenue to education, clean up the land it is on and won’t take land away from agriculture.”
Solar Gen has developed similar solar projects across the country, with a focus on Arizona and California, producing a combined more than 282 megawatts of photovoltaic power.
By Garry Boulard
