Solar energy installation expected at Steamboat Springs Airport

Steamboat Springs City Council members received an update this week on their vision to build a solar instillation facility near the Steamboat Springs Airport, as part of a broader effort to offset 100% of the county’s energy use with renewable sources.

The proposed solar facility for the municipal airport is part of a plan to build a solar array in Hayden that would generate a total of 4.8 megawatts of power, Routt County Commissioner Sonja Macys explained to council members on Tuesday.

During a joint meeting with council and county commissioners, Macys said the project would aim to offset energy use needed for planned sewer upgrades in Milner and Phippsburg and construction of a business center in Hayden, as well as the Steamboat fire station and city hall project.

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Renewable energy offsetting would help meet the goals outlined in the Routt County Climate Action Plan adopted by the city in 2021. Electricity consumption accounts for 37% of emissions covered by the county’s climate action plan.

The solar panel project is tied to the Yampa Valley Electric Association’s intention to switch its energy supplier from Excel Energy to Guzman Energy in 2028, which would allow for more local energy production in the county, Macys explained Tuesday.

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Changing energy sources will help alleviate recent metering limits set by YVEA, which reduced the number of kilowatts supplied by an individual solar PV installation from 100 kilowatts to 25 kilowatts.

“If we were to reach the 100-point cap, which we are able to do, Routt County would be able to offset 100 percent of its wastewater treatment plant costs, and the city would also take significant losses on some of its projects,” Macys said.

The county has hired consulting firm NV5 to lead the development of the proposed solar project.

Addressing council members and county commissioners on Tuesday, NV5 Vice President Tom Williard said the plans will help improve the resilience of local power grids and promote the development of renewable energy.

“We are basing all of this work on Routt County’s goals of offsetting 100% of its electricity use with renewable energy,” Williard said. “That’s why the size was set at 4.8 megawatts because that’s the size of the system that the system needs to balance that energy.”

The approximate cost of the layout construction project is expected to be between $10 million and $11 million, not including related land purchases, but Macys said that cost could be reduced through available federal tax credits and grants.

The county commissioner said the ability to provide a larger solar panel system that could serve projects in multiple local government jurisdictions could benefit from important tax breaks provided by the American Inflation Reduction Act and the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

Local governments do not pay property taxes, but the Inflation Reduction Act allows municipalities to use federal funds to obtain an amount equivalent to 40% of the federal investment tax credit.

Additionally, because the county is designated a “coal conversion community,” the solar project could receive $7.5 million in funding to cover the remaining project costs.

City Council President Gail Garey asked about potential problems resulting from installing a solar project next to the city’s airport.

Williard said the instillation would require “reflection studies” in some areas around the city’s airport “to make sure it’s not a problem.”

He also said initial instillation research favors a solar-tracking system over a fixed-tilt system – which would be more expensive but would ultimately be more effective.

“Tracking systems have the advantage of being able to shed snow by moving further from one side to the other,” Williard said. “They are a little more expensive, but they produce more energy.”

Council members made no decision to continue the project other than to indicate that additional research should be conducted.