Risk Grade

Poor

Wealthiest per-capita county in US; ski resort tourism economy; extreme NIMBY culture; Holy Cross Energy territory; strict scenic protection ordinances; effectively zero utility-scale solar tolerance

Assessment Snapshot

Population

17767

State Rank

#50

Compliance

72%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

500 ft+ from structures; additional scenic setbacks

Zoning Mechanism

Conditional Use Permit with BOCC approval; extremely high bar

Acreage Caps

Effectively none — no viable sites

Density Caps

Spacing Rules

Not applicable

Size Restrictions

Utility-scale effectively prohibited; no >5 MW ever approved

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Strongly Opposed — wealthiest per capita county in US; extreme NIMBY; scenic preservation paramount

Basis for Assessment

Pitkin County BOCC minutes; Aspen Times coverage; multiple documented pre-application withdrawals

Political Risk Factors

Worsening

Board Members

Greg Poschman (D, 2026) | Kelly McNicholas Kury (D, 2027) | Francie Jacober (D, 2026)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

Holy Cross Energy / WECC

Utilities

Holy Cross Energy

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

None — no utility-scale solar on record

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

Pitkin County Solar Farm concept withdrawn 2021 after pre-application opposition

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

Pitkin County, CO — Solar Development Risk Assessment