Date: 12/18/24
By: Christine Canaly (SLVEC Director)
Do you want to learn more and network with the solar and energy storage industry? Come to COSSA's Solar Power and Energy Storage Mountain West conference from January 20-22nd in Denver.
There was an insightful symposium hosted by the COSSA (Colorado Institute's Solar and Energy Storage Assn), that took place in Alamosa, ASU Student Center, on December 12th. Presentation Materials can be found here.
Collectively, the speakers were able to give a complex, yet easy to understand overview of past and leading up to present solar/transmission development needs and perspectives; and how that future can be shaped in the San Luis Valley; including tackling ongoing water issues and the possibility of siting solar in agricultural circles that are considering retirement of their center pivot operations.There were presentations from Jack’s Solar Garden and incorporating Agri-voltaics’s, (growing crops, pollinators, grazing animals, under solar panels); the importance of community planning, whose key elements include: public outreach, Housing, Economic Development, Natural Resources, Water Supply and Conservation, Infrastructure and Utilities, Land Use, Transportation, Hazards, Community Character, Parks and Open Space, Recreation and Tourism.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) emphasized the importance of understanding wildlife and how to site solar areas with wildlife and their core habitat/corridor needs in mind; which is an essential component to maintaining resource balance. There was also discussion about the transmission study that was funded through the Colorado Energy Office, with Alamosa County taking the lead, which is to begin in 2025; that will analyze three transmission routes for possible future “redundancy and reliability” needs for the SLV, and also economic development opportunities for solar export.
There was also some great material presented on solar storage, and how sophisticated that industry and its technology is becoming. Stay tuned, lots happening.
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