Routt County weighs creative options to secure tax credits for Hayden solar project

County staff briefed commissioners on April 7 about the Hayden solar project and an urgent need to reach a 5% expenditure threshold to secure eligibility for federal investment tax credits (ITC).

County Manager Jay Harrington said the project has DOLA funds, land at the town wastewater plant and a remaining funding gap that county analysts had planned to close partly with production tax credits. Harrington said recent congressional discussion about rolling back tax credits created urgency to establish a project start date before possible cuts.

"It would be critical to start to pull the trigger on getting to that 5% threshold so that our project start date is before this funding is cut," Jay Harrington said. He described possible approaches such as paying consultants, completing system‑impact studies or preordering panels or materials as ways to document 5% project expenditure.

Harrington and staff emphasized that any financing or procurement steps would be reviewed by the county attorney and accounting to ensure legal and fiscal compliance. Commissioners agreed staff should continue to pursue options, including exploring philanthropic acquisitions of equipment to meet the threshold, while ensuring appropriate approvals.

Staff also said they are awaiting a system‑impact study and are reassessing the project schedule. The county will seek to present more detailed financing options at a future meeting once legal and accounting have reviewed proposed approaches.

No formal action was taken; commissioners asked staff to proceed with due diligence and to return with proposals.