<\/p>\n
A solar energy project near Totten Lake, rearranged to avoid a nearby bald eagle\u2019s nest, has been approved.<\/p>\n
The Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners issued a special use permit on Aug. 11 for OneEnergy Renewables to build the 2.2 megawatt project at 10574 County Road 29. The panels will move to follow the sun.<\/p>\n
The power will be sold to Empire Electric Association and Tri-State Generation, and is enough to power 460 homes. Construction has begun.<\/p>\n
An occupied bald eagle nest in a cottonwood grove north of the project forced a change in the layout of the panels, said OneEnergy representative Gavin Berg.<\/p>\n
Panels were moved south to comply with a quarter-mile buffer zone required by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe worked closely with CPW and the Corp of Engineers and shifted it outside the buffer zone of the eagle,\u201d Berg said.<\/p>\n
The new design was granted approval by the Army Corp of Engineers to install solar panel posts in a wetlands area, he said. The solar panels will be driven into the ground 6-8 feet, and the wetland grass must be preserved.<\/p>\n
Some neighbors have opposed to the project, arguing the rural area with many homes is inappropriate for a large solar installation, and that it could impact property values and wildlife, including the eagles.<\/p>\n
Mike Conne, who lives adjacent to the new solar farm, has been seen occasionally on Cortez\u2019s Main Street with a sign that reads \u201cProtect the Bald Eagles, Say No to Totten Lake Solar.\u201d<\/p>\n
During a public hearing, he said is not necessarily opposed to solar power, but feels there are better locations for the industrial use.<\/p>\n
The commissioners have promoted the county as ideal for large solar power projects and have reached out to solar companies to consider building here.<\/p>\n
In approving the OneEnergy project, they said it meets the standards of the land use code. The panels are being installed on land owned by Empire Electric.<\/p>\n
The project covers 20 acres, and the solar panels will take up about 12 acres. An 8-foot-tall security fence will be installed.<\/p>\n
On the south side, the panels will be a 50-foot setback from property lines where there are homes, officials said.<\/p>\n