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.
A previous six-month moratorium on solar enacted by the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners expired on Oct. 15.
The meeting, intended to gather public input, will be held at 9 p.m. in the commissioners’ hearing room at the county administrative offices, 109 W. Main St. in Cortez, according to the notice.
If reinstated, the moratorium would halt applications for large-scale solar panel developments, giving the county more time to adopt regulations.
The county is also revising its land-use code to accommodate other energy sources, including nuclear and wind.
But solar has captured the attention of many residents.
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 “just to pause, to make sure we have better language in land-use code.”
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.
After the moratorium, the Planning and Zoning Committee rejected a proposed 960-acre solar farm, Canyonland Solar, west of Lewis-Arriola.
Organizers with Montezuma County for Solar recently advocated the photovoltaic power source. The group submitted more than 200 pro-solar petitions to commissioners on Oct. 8. Organizers also surveyed and engaged with residents to learn more about the reasons for and against solar.
Those involved with the group told The Journal that their next steps are to help educate the community.
Montezuma County isn’t alone in its hesitancy to fully embrace solar.
The Colorado Sun reported Monday that some counties around the state create obstacles to a clear path for solar – from land-use codes to community opposition. The state’s clean-energy goals include multiplying its solar power fivefold.
Montezuma County Attorney Stephen Tarnowski told commissioners during an Oct. 6 meeting that a public hearing was needed to choose a path: “Either adopt some kind of amendment to the code or do another moratorium, essentially, if we're not in a position to adopt the regulations.”
