38.6

Risk Grade

Good

Arkansas River mountain valley; some flat agricultural land in valley floor; tourism/outdoor recreation economy; moderate population growth; limited but real solar potential on valley floor

Assessment Snapshot

Population

20356

State Rank

#24

Compliance

42%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

None codified

Zoning Mechanism

County Zoning / Special Use Permit

Acreage Caps

No cap

Density Caps

Size Restrictions

No restrictions

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral-supportive — Salida outdoor recreation community; some environmental consciousness; limited large sites

Basis for Assessment

County planning records, Chaffee County local news (Mountain Mail)

Political Risk Factors

Stable

Board Members

Greg Felt (D, 2026) | Rusty Granzella (R, 2027) | Alex Durbin (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 solar farm (Salida area, ~5 MW, 2021); one agricultural solar install

Explore the Full Tracker

View risk assessments for all 3,100+ US counties, compare states, and download detailed ordinance data for your solar development pipeline.

Launch SolarRisk Tracker

Chaffee County, CO — Solar Development Risk Assessment