The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and renewable energy developer Canigou Group have proposed building a 971 MW, $1.5 billion solar project called Sun Bear in the Four Corners region of Colorado. The plan is currently undergoing an environmental assessment with the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Sun Bear would be among the largest solar farms in the United States. The partners have proposed building a solar farm with about 2 million panels on 4,240 acres of tribal land about 9 miles southwest of Towaoc, Colo. They estimate that construction would involve between 500 and 1,000 workers and take between two and four years.
Sun Bear would have the capacity to power nearly 215,000 homes and displace 1.2 to 1.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to Canigou, who is based in Hong Kong and has an office in the U.S. United in Denver. The plan is to connect to the power grid in the western area.
“I look forward to seeing the project’s positive impacts come to fruition for the tribe, while reducing the area’s reliance on fossil fuels,” said Jared Gorby, principal landscape and urban designer at San Diego-based RICK Engineering Co. , California. ., who worked on the conceptual design model.
Public comments for the environmental assessment are due by February 23. Located in a sparsely vegetated area of the upper Colorado River basin, the region is home to Mesa Verde cactus, which the US Fish and Wildlife Service lists as a threatened species. The partners have proposed having a 200m “no-build” buffer around each cactus.
Assuming the plan is accepted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the partners say construction could begin by the end of the year.
In addition to the solar project, Canigou highlighted the area’s green hydrogen potential. The company says it is working on a concept and seeking partners for a potential complementary project that could use Sun Bear’s energy.
