Last solar panel installed at Black Hollow. It will have 257 megawatts of capacity for four northern Colorado communities.
The final solar panel — one of more than 500,000 — has been installed at the Black Hollow Sun complex. This is near Severance, about 20 miles east of Fort Collins.
Once fully operational later this year, the complex will be northern Colorado’s largest solar project. The first phase has 150 megawatts of capacity. The second phase now being completed has 107 MW.
Platte River Power Authority — which provides power for Fort Collins, Estes Park, Longmont and Loveland — will be the recipient of this electricity via a 20-year power purchase agreement. The output, according to Contour Global, the solar developer, will be sufficient to power more than 73,000 homes and businesses.
“This project is essential to advancing the non-carbon energy goals of our owner communities, and reaching this milestone reflects more than seven years of dedication from our project team,” said Jason Frisbie, general manager of CEO of Platte River.
“Since launching the project in 2019, we’ve overcome significant challenges — from the pandemic and related delays to supply chain disruptions and inflation.”
This generation from Black Hollow Sun will represent 20% of the total annual demand of Plattte River’s four member communites.
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Since clean fusion power has been “just around the corner” for fifty years now, it’s gratifying to see solar stepping up to fill the gap. The sad thing is that clean energy hasn’t replaced power generated by fossil fuels because we’re only barely able to keep up all with new demand from crypto banks and data centers.