{"id":16007,"date":"2025-10-22T22:58:27","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T04:58:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/public-hearing-for-solar-in-montezuma-county-to-be-held-on-nov-18\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T21:53:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:53:38","slug":"public-hearing-for-solar-in-montezuma-county-to-be-held-on-nov-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/public-hearing-for-solar-in-montezuma-county-to-be-held-on-nov-18\/","title":{"rendered":"Public hearing for solar in Montezuma County to be held on Nov. 18"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"A
A 30MW solar farm near Alamosa in the San Luis Valley. (Whetstone Energy, via The Colorado Sun)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

A public hearing on solar and land use code revisions for alternative energy in Montezuma County will be held Tuesday, Nov. 18, with a possible second moratorium on sun-powered panels on the table.<\/p>\n

A previous six-month moratorium on solar enacted by the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners expired on Oct. 15.<\/p>\n

The meeting, intended to gather public input, will be held at 9 a.m. in the commissioners\u2019 hearing room at the county administrative offices, 109 W. Main St. in Cortez, according to the notice.<\/p>\n

If reinstated, the moratorium would halt applications for large-scale solar panel developments, giving the county more time to adopt regulations.<\/p>\n

The county is also revising its land-use code to accommodate other energy sources, including nuclear and wind.<\/p>\n

But solar has captured the attention of many residents.<\/p>\n

In April, Montezuma County commissioners approved a six-month pause on new applications for utility-scale solar power. Commissioner Jim Candelaria said the goal was<\/a> \u201cjust to pause, to make sure we have better language in land-use code.\u201d<\/p>\n

About 20 residents attended a public meeting to support the moratorium. Supporters cited concerns about protecting public lands and evaluating the long-term impacts of solar farms. Residents also raised concerns about disruptions to agricultural lands when weighing the benefits of solar.<\/p>\n

After the moratorium, the Planning and Zoning Committee rejected<\/a> a proposed 960-acre solar farm, Canyonland Solar, west of Lewis-Arriola.<\/p>\n

Organizers with Montezuma County for Solar recently advocated the photovoltaic power source. The group submitted more than 200 pro-solar petitions<\/a> to commissioners on Oct. 8. Organizers also surveyed and engaged with residents to learn more about the reasons for and against solar.<\/p>\n

Those involved with the group told The Journal<\/em> that their next steps are to help educate the community.<\/p>\n

Montezuma County isn\u2019t alone in its hesitancy to fully embrace solar.<\/p>\n

The Colorado Sun<\/em><\/a> reported Monday that some counties around the state create obstacles to a clear path for solar \u2013 from land-use codes to community opposition. The state\u2019s clean-energy goals include multiplying its solar power fivefold.<\/p>\n

Montezuma County Attorney Stephen Tarnowski told commissioners during an Oct. 6 meeting that a public hearing was needed to choose a path: \u201cEither adopt some kind of amendment to the code or do another moratorium, essentially, if we\u2019re not in a position to adopt the regulations.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article was updated on Thursday afternoon. A previous version incorrectly stated the time of the public hearing. That mistake was based on the scheduled time listed in a printed notice for the public hearing.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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