Big Bronco Solar Wins Land-Use Approval in Colorado
Adams County commissioners approved land use for Lightsource bp's $675 million Big Bronco Solar and Storage project in Watkins, Colorado, on October 13.
The 2,800-acre development, east of Denver International Airport, will include 300 MW of solar generation, a 300 MW battery energy storage system (BESS), a utility substation and a transmission line. Solar panels will occupy approximately 1,800 acres under a 40-year land-use approval.
Will Vaughan, Lightsource bp's renewables development manager, said the project could deliver electricity to Denver “without the need for Xcel to build costly new transmission or make costly transmission upgrades.”
The developer estimates generation equivalent to the consumption of 99,000 homes, up to 400 construction jobs and $40 million in lifetime property taxes.
Construction is not expected before 2028, and an electricity buyer remains unsecured.
The project combines solar-plus-storage technology with transmission capacity considerations.
Source: Rocky Mountain PBS
