SolarRisk Tracker / Explore / CO / El Paso

El Paso County, CO — Solar Development Risk Assessment

Local solar ordinance barriers, board sentiment, and utility policies that affect development timelines and risk.

41.2
Risk Grade
Good
Colorado Springs metro dominates; eastern agricultural fringe (Calhan, Falcon areas) has real utility-scale potential and is more rural; conservative county government but not actively hostile to solar; CSU siting process for city-area adds complexity
Assessment Snapshot
Population
730395
State Rank
#30
Compliance
50%
Trajectory
44

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium
No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements
150 ft from residences (informal county guidance)
Zoning Mechanism
County Zoning / Special Use Permit; Colorado Springs Utilities oversight for city-area projects
Acreage Caps
No cap
Density Caps
No
Size Restrictions
No formal county restrictions

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis
Mixed — Colorado Springs conservative metro; some rural landowner opposition; eastern plains fringe more supportive
Basis for Assessment
El Paso County planning; Gazette; CSU records
Political Risk Factors
Neutral
Board Members
Longinos Gonzalez Jr. (R, 2026) | Holly Williams (R, 2027) | Stan VanderWerf (R, 2026) | Cami Bremer (R, 2027) | Carrie Geitner (R, 2026)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator
Xcel Energy (PSCO) / Colorado Springs Utilities / WECC
Utilities
Xcel Energy (PSCO), Colorado Springs Utilities
State Permitting Process
County SUP; Colorado Springs Utilities siting for city areas; HB 23-1232 CEO review >50 MW; decommissioning bond
State Incentives
Federal ITC; Colorado Clean Energy Fund; Xcel RE procurement; CSU renewable programs

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects
Several ground-mount projects on eastern fringe (~50 MW total across approvals 2019–24)
Denied/Withdrawn Projects
One project denied near Fountain due to neighbor opposition (2022)

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Last verified: April 2026 (web research) | SolarRisk Tracker | Data sources: Government records, utility filings, public meeting minutes