42.6

Risk Grade

Good

NW Colorado oil and gas county; Holy Cross territory; rural landscape with limited solar developer interest; board focused on oil/gas but not actively hostile to solar

Assessment Snapshot

Population

6828

State Rank

#35

Compliance

48%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

None codified for solar

Zoning Mechanism

County Zoning / Administrative Review

Acreage Caps

No cap

Density Caps

Size Restrictions

No size restrictions under 50 MW

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral-Skeptical — oil and gas economy; solar not a priority but not opposed

Basis for Assessment

Rio Blanco Herald Times; county commissioner statements

Political Risk Factors

Neutral

Board Members

Jeff Rector (R, 2026) | Shawn Bolton (R, 2027) | Si Woodruff (R, 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 on record

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Rio Blanco County, CO — Solar Development Risk Assessment