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Montezuma County commissioners discuss solar moratorium, consider size limits, bonding and agrivoltaics
Summary
Planning commissioners spent an extended portion of their meeting discussing the county's moratorium on solar and alternate energy projects and possible changes including size thresholds, owner-transfer controls, decommissioning bonds and agrivoltaic rules.
Commissioners at the Montezuma County Planning and Zoning Commission meeting in Cortez spent a substantial portion of the agenda discussing a county moratorium on solar and alternate‑energy projects and potential policy responses.
Why it matters: Commissioners said they want rules that address community concerns about large photovoltaic arrays's visual impacts, ownership and long‑term site maintenance, while permitting smaller or dual‑use (agrivoltaic) installations in appropriate locations. The discussion examined how county regulation interacts with state assessment and permitting, decommissioning costs and possible ways to limit utility‑scale projects.
Key points from the discussion
- Moratorium purpose and timing: Commissioners reviewed the existing moratorium on solar and other alternate energy projects and said they are using the pause to study model code language and examples from other counties, including Mesa County. Participants discussed October as the month when the moratorium ends (date referenced in the meeting variously as Oct. 8 or Oct. 30).
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