45.8

Risk Grade

Good

Colorado's smallest county by population; former silver mining district; steep mountainous terrain eliminates all utility-scale solar opportunity; Tri-State territory; no developer activity

Assessment Snapshot

Population

728

State Rank

#39

Compliance

52%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

None codified

Zoning Mechanism

County Review / Ad Hoc

Acreage Caps

N/A — mountainous terrain

Density Caps

Size Restrictions

N/A — no viable utility-scale sites

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral/Indifferent — mining heritage county; no developer interest in utility-scale solar

Basis for Assessment

Silvertonite newspaper; county records; NREL terrain analysis

Political Risk Factors

Neutral

Board Members

Scott Fetchenhier (R, 2026) | Peter McKay (R, 2027) | Ernie Kuhlman (R, 2026)

Grid, Utilities & State Context

Grid Operator

Tri-State Generation and Transmission / WECC

Utilities

Tri-State Generation and Transmission

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Denied/Withdrawn Projects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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San Juan County, CO — Solar Development Risk Assessment