Risk Grade

Good

SW Colorado mixed terrain county; some flat ag land suitable for solar; limited developer activity; Empire Electric territory with moderate grid capacity

Assessment Snapshot

Population

26183

State Rank

#37

Compliance

48%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

None codified

Zoning Mechanism

County Zoning / Administrative Permit

Acreage Caps

No cap

Density Caps

Size Restrictions

No size restrictions under 50 MW

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Mixed — agricultural and tourism community; limited solar developer activity

Basis for Assessment

Cortez Journal coverage; Montezuma County Planning Dept records

Political Risk Factors

Neutral

Board Members

Larry Don Suckla (R, 2026) | Jim Candelaria (R, 2027) | Keenan Ertel (R, 2026)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

Empire Electric Association / WECC

Utilities

Empire Electric Association

State Permitting Process

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

State Incentives

Federal ITC; Colorado Clean Energy Fund; Xcel RE procurement programs

Development Activity

Active/Completed Projects

Montezuma Community Solar (~2 MW, 2022)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Montezuma County, CO — Solar Development Risk Assessment