Commissioners approve Resolution on Commercial Solar Farm

The Board of Commissioners approved a Resolution Imposing a Temporary Moratorium on the Submission, Acceptance, Processing, and Approval of any New Land Use or Business that Engages or Operates as a Commercial Solar Farm on Jan. 9 at the administrative public hearing. The temporary moratorium is slated for six months but can conclude sooner should the entire timeframe prove unnecessary.

Recently, Mesa County has seen an uptick in land use applications for commercial solar farms and businesses utilizing solar photovoltaics as a commercial energy source. Without current solar energy provisions in the Mesa County Land Development Code, the resolution will allow Mesa County Community Development and other county agencies to thoroughly evaluate regulatory frameworks, licensing procedures, and community input.

This comprehensive evaluation aims to accomplish a balanced foundational process, ensuring the positive contributions of new solar energy businesses in Mesa County are maximized, and potential negative impacts are mitigated — while simultaneously addressing community members' insights and suggestions to create a strong and bright future for solar energy in Mesa County.

A public open house to present and discuss draft amendments to the Mesa County Land Development Code for solar facilities will take place on Jan. 30, 2024, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Mesa County Central Services, 200 S. Spruce St., Grand Junction, CO 81501, in the Main Conference Room. We invite all public members to participate and hope to hear from you!

Click here to watch the Dec. 18, 2023 Briefing on Possible Solar Moratorium Timeline.