Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Montezuma County adopts new utility‑scale solar rules, raises setback to 500 feet
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing with dozens of speakers for and against, the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners adopted new land‑use code provisions for utility‑scale solar on Nov. 18, 2025, adding decommissioning and financial‑assurance requirements and increasing the minimum setback from residences to 500 feet from the property line.
The Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners on Nov. 18 adopted planned land‑use code additions creating Chapter 10 for renewable energy production and formalizing how utility‑scale solar applications will be handled in unincorporated parts of the county.
The board voted unanimously to adopt the published draft with one substantive amendment: a minimum 500‑foot setback measured from the property line for solar projects adjacent to residences, replacing the staff‑proposed 150‑foot standard.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the change responds to public concern about visual and property‑value impacts while allowing projects to proceed through the county’s existing high‑impact and special‑use permit processes. Staff framed the new chapter as intended to tie solar review back into existing zoning and the county’s comprehensive plan goals, including protection of private property rights and agricultural viability.
What the code does: The adopted language limits Chapter 10 to utility‑scale solar and similar energy production and exempts small private systems…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
