33.8

Risk Grade

Excellent

San Luis Valley with highest solar irradiance in Colorado; vast low-density landscape; permissive county zoning; some large projects already permitted; grid export capacity a growing concern

Assessment Snapshot

Population

7081

State Rank

#17

Compliance

35%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

None codified

Zoning Mechanism

Administrative Permit / County Review

Acreage Caps

No cap

Density Caps

Size Restrictions

No size restrictions under 50 MW

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Supportive — sparse rural county welcomes large-scale solar as economic development

Basis for Assessment

Saguache Crescent; county planning records; SLV solar development history

Political Risk Factors

Improving

Board Members

Nathan Daggett (R, 2026) | Lori Laske (R, 2027) | Tom McCracken (R, 2026)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

Xcel Energy (PSCO) / San Luis Valley REC / WECC

Utilities

Xcel Energy (PSCO), San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative

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

San Luis Valley Solar Ranch (~100 MW, 2022); Saguache Solar (~30 MW, 2023)

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

None on record

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Saguache County, CO — Solar Development Risk Assessment