Pueblo County Commissioners turn down solar panel farm

In a unanimous vote Wednesday, Pueblo County Commissioners turned down a request to build a 100-megawatt solar farm in the southern part of the county.

The project was submitted for approval by a renewable energy company based out of Chicago called Invenergy.

They hoped to build thousands of panels off Burnt Mill Road near Interstate 25. However, nearby St. Charles River Estates residents brought their concerns to the commissioners, stating that the panels would prove to be a fire risk to the small community. Invenergy engineers said the fire risk was minimal.

“Conduct your own risk analysis on this facility and you’ll find this is not safe for a residential community our size,” said Daniel Jahnke, a Army Veteran who lives right across the street from where the proposed solar panels would have gone. “We have put everything we have in our life savings into that property. Let’s be honest here, the home where you lay your head down at night. You want to feel safe.”

Pueblo County Commissioners turned down a permit request from Invenergy because of the location. Commissioner Terry Hart believed the panels would prove to be a massive fire risk to locals, and Commissioner Garrison Ortiz said he feared for the community’s property values decreasing.

“I think it was a lost opportunity today. I’m certainly disappointed,” said Ben Turner, a Renewable Development Manager for Invenergy. Turner isn’t buying the argument that the panels pose a significant fire threat.

“Most things can pose a fire risk. Somebody flicking a cigarette out of a car can pose a fire risk,” said Turner. “It’s certainly a concern in this part of the county as well as the entire US. I think these projects are safe and are well managed and follow electrical codes and they are a good fit for these locations.”

Commissioners say they hope to work on renewable projects with Invenergy in the future, just not at this particular site. Turner says Invenergy will continue to look to build renewable energy project in Pueblo County, and throughout Southern Colorado.