{"id":21756,"date":"2025-06-20T23:31:03","date_gmt":"2025-06-21T05:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/large-scale-solar-project-in-limbo-during-moratorium-in-montezuma-county\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T22:09:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T04:09:16","slug":"large-scale-solar-project-in-limbo-during-moratorium-in-montezuma-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/large-scale-solar-project-in-limbo-during-moratorium-in-montezuma-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Large-scale solar project in limbo during moratorium in Montezuma County"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Roughly
Roughly 120 community members attended the May 15 Montezuma County Planning and Zoning meeting where the commission heard Juwi Inc.\u2019s large-scale solar project proposal. (Cameryn Cass\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

The Montezuma County Planning and Zoning Commission in May unanimously agreed to reject a utility-scale solar project on 960 acres of predominantly agricultural land, leaving the project by Boulder-based Juwi Inc. in limbo, \u201cTBD.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJuwi looks forward to the results of the current solar energy moratorium under Resolution 6-2025. At that juncture, we will examine potential avenues for Canyonland Solar,\u201d said Juwi\u2019s David Kimmet in an email to The Journal.<\/p>\n

In early April, the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners unanimously agreed to a six-month moratorium on large-scale solar projects, to be lifted in September.<\/p>\n

Despite the moratorium, the previously proposed Canyonland Solar project was allowed to move forward in the application process. At the April 8 Planning and Zoning meeting, County Commissioner Jim Candelaria called the moratorium \u201ca pause to make sure we have better language in land-use code.\u201d<\/p>\n

Montezuma County is one of eight counties in the state with \u201cno relevant definitions present\u201d for solar development in its land-use code, according to a 2024 National Renewable Energy Laboratory report.<\/a><\/p>\n

Juwi\u2019s application and the May meeting<\/div>\n

More recently, at the Planning and Zoning meeting in May, Kimmet flipped through a slide deck, presenting pertinent points to the board from Juwi Inc.\u2019s 547-page application.<\/p>\n

Since Juwi first approached the county in 2020 with \u201ca concept,\u201d the project has changed, taking community and expert input into account, Kimmet said.<\/p>\n

Though the project has remained 140 megawatts \u2013 which, according to the project\u2019s website<\/a> could power 30,000 average Colorado homes \u2013 the configuration of the panels on land near Goodman Point has changed. For instance, panels previously were required to be at least 500 feet away from a home, but after meeting with the community, they changed that threshold to 800 feet, said Kimmet.<\/p>\n

\"Canyonland
Canyonland Solar Project map by JUWI Inc. The proposed project, which would be located near Canyon of the Ancients National Monument and Goodman Point on 960 acres of private property, awaits approval. (David Kimmet\/Courtesy photo)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Colorado Parks and Wildlife recommended removing panels near the canyon edge and adding gaps between arrays for big game movement, though the distance is unknown and a further study is needed, Kimmet said<\/p>\n

CPW also recommended 8-foot-high wildlife exclusion fencing around the project.<\/p>\n

Juwi\u2019s application included multiple \u201csub plans\u201d that detailed decommissioning, dust mitigation and a fire protection plan approved by the Lewis-Arriola Fire Protection District.<\/p>\n

At the May 15 meeting, Kimmet said he was aware of decommissioning concerns and spoke of agrivoltaics, and how grazing sheep in solar arrays was becoming a \u201cbest practice.\u201d Kimmet also mentioned a revegetation plan and plans for a mix of local seeds to help regenerate the land they lease.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand the concerns,\u201d Kimmet said. \u201cThere are complex parameters you\u2019ll have to consider \u2026 understand this\u2019ll pay dividends for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Juwi estimated the project would bring the county about $280,000 in tax revenue every year \u2013 $9.8 million during the project\u2019s 35-year life.<\/p>\n

The largest share of that money \u2013 57% \u2013 would go to Montezuma-Cortez High School. Colorado assesses<\/a> agricultural and renewable energy land the same \u2013 26.40%.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s some of the best sunlight in the country here,\u201d Kimmet said in May, underscoring the value of U.S. energy independence.<\/p>\n

To help mitigate Juwi\u2019s impact, the Kimmet said the company would make a 4-H donation, get a new defibrillator for the Lewis-Arriola ambulance and possibly even have a \u201cteaching tool array\u201d at the high school to help students learn about solar.<\/p>\n

Public comment<\/div>\n

Roughly 120 people attended the public hearing for the project, which wrapped up after about three hours, at 8:52 p.m.<\/p>\n

Some residents supported the project, saying the county needed the money and the application went \u201cabove and beyond\u201d what\u2019s typically turned in.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe benefits outweigh the short-term impacts,\u201d said another.<\/p>\n

Most community members who spoke opposed the project.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis will directly take 960 acres out of ag,\u201d one person said. Another called the project \u201can insult to the land.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a potential to turn it into a wasteland,\u201d they said, expressing fear that regeneration efforts would be in vain.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis land is for farming and ranching. That\u2019s what this place does,\u201d a speaker said. \u201cNobody lives in Montezuma County because they want to be rich.\u201d A struggling farmer said, \u201cYou\u2019re killing us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Residents from Pleasant View shared their perspective as neighbors to a large-scale solar array<\/a> under construction in Dolores County.<\/p>\n

\u201cI urge you guys to drive out there and take in the magnitude of 800 acres of solar panels,\u201d they said, adding that no one would like to live near that.<\/p>\n

A certified appraiser said the project stands to negatively impact property values, and Planning and Zoning board member Mike Doyla asked Kimmet whether landowners who would lease their property spoke that evening. Kimmet said no, and that many of the landowners don\u2019t live locally.<\/p>\n

Another board member asked about job creation, and Kimmet said that at peak, they\u2019d need 250 workers, but after the project was built, only one person would oversee both projects in Montezuma and Dolores counties.<\/p>\n

\"Just
Just three \u2013 Jason Armstrong, Mike Doyle and Mike Lynch \u2013 board members of the six on the Montezuma County Planning and Zoning Commission were at the May 15 where JUWI Inc. proposed their Canyonland Solar project. (Cameryn Cass\/The Journal)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>
After the meeting<\/div>\n

Just three of the six planning and zoning board members were present at the meeting and agreed to reject the proposed project \u2013 Jason Armstrong, Mike Lynch and Doyle.<\/p>\n

Lynch underscored the \u201crural character\u201d of Montezuma County and said zoning should match the land use. Solar on ag land is a change of use, he said, and the board rejected Juwi\u2019s application because there was no rezoning application.<\/p>\n

Later, Kimmet told The Journal<\/em> that the big turnout spoke to the \u201cpassion which ties residents to the land.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI remain hopeful that a middle ground exists whereby, through constructive dialogue, the important continuation of agricultural practices in the Goodman Point area, perhaps via sheep grazing, can be married with the important generation of affordable electricity.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Inc. says resubmitting application is \u2018TBD\u2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":21757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[1171,28,60,29,1425],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-21756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-canyons-of-the-ancients-national-monument","tag-headlines","tag-montezuma-county","tag-newsletter","tag-solar-energy"],"acf":[],"author_name":"dh_admin","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21756"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":77445,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21756\/revisions\/77445"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21756"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dh.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=21756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}