I am writing to ask community members to join Holy Cross Energy and show their support of the Proposed Pitkin County Solar array. The project will be reviewed by the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning Commission at 5 p.m. Tuesday.
Not only will the project help us further reduce our environmental impact, but also will provide a consistent, cost-effective source of power for years to come. Bringing solar power to Pitkin County is a symbol for our community, one that demonstrates our desire to increase access to locally generated renewable energy and that we take clean energy seriously.
In addition, the Pitkin County Solar Project could not be more ideally located. The site owned by Aspen Consolidated Sanitation District is within one-half mile of a Holy Cross Energy distribution line and close to some of our largest energy consumers.
Because the parcel was previously a biosolids disposal site under the flight path to the Aspen-Pitkin County airport, the project also puts disturbed land to an environmentally beneficial use. The site imposes minimal wildlife impacts and meets the environmental criteria for solar facilities.
If this project is not approved, it is unlikely we would be able to bring local utility-scale solar to Pitkin County in the future. We need the support of our members living in Pitkin County to encourage approval of this project. Therefore, we have created several ways for the community to let the Commission know how important this project is to our community.
You can visit HolyCross.com/Pitkin-County-Solar to sign an open letter from the community, send a letter to the editor or share information on social media.
Please also consider attending the Pitkin County Planning and Zoning meeting on Tuesday to show the commission that this project is a priority for you and others.
Bryan Hannegan
President and CEO, Holy Cross Energy