38.6

Risk Grade

Good

Dense Denver suburb; minimal flat undeveloped land; utility-scale essentially not feasible in western county; eastern rural fringe (Byers) has limited potential

Assessment Snapshot

Population

655070

State Rank

#24

Compliance

56%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

200 ft agricultural setback where applicable

Zoning Mechanism

Special Use Permit; Urban zoning largely precludes utility-scale

Acreage Caps

No cap

Density Caps

Size Restrictions

Suburban density effectively limits utility-scale

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Mixed — western Aurora strongly opposed to industrial solar; eastern plains fringe neutral

Basis for Assessment

Aurora City Council records, Arapahoe County planning files

Political Risk Factors

Neutral

Board Members

Jeff Baker (R, 2026) | Nancy Jackson (R, 2027) | Bill Holen (R, 2026) | Joan Lopez (D, 2027) | Michael Westerberg (R, 2026)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

Xcel Energy (PSCO) / WECC

Utilities

Xcel Energy (PSCO)

State Permitting Process

County SUP; HB 23-1232 CEO review >50 MW; decommissioning bond

State Incentives

Federal ITC; Colorado Clean Energy Fund; Xcel RE procurement

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

One small ground-mount (Byers area, <5 MW, 2021)

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Arapahoe County, CO — Solar Development Risk Assessment