Local Governments in Rural Colorado Partner for Transformation

In November 2021, a group of local governments in rural Colorado celebrated a unique collaboration and the delivery of a transformative renewable energy and resiliency solution for their communities. This solution confirmed their commitment to join the state in working toward 100% renewable energy by 2040.

A feasibility study completed in 2020 uncovered solar energy and resiliency opportunities for this group of regional partners in northwest Colorado, spread across the Routt County and Moffat County regions. Leaders in the City of Steamboat Springs, City of Craig, Moffat County, Yampa Valley Regional Airport, Town of Yampa, Town of Oak Creek, Moffat County School District, Mount Werner Water and Town of Hayden came together to determine a solution to achieve shared energy goals while balancing each stakeholder’s unique priorities.

The result was a powerful collaboration on the design and construction of 13 solar arrays totaling 2 MW of power, the installation of a battery energy storage system at a small regional airport and significant savings for all entities.

Created using an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) with each entity, the stakeholders will individually see an average energy savings of 50%. Together, the region will see deeper and more meaningful impacts from total reductions in emissions and costs cementing reliability and resiliency across these community sites.