68.4

Risk Grade

Poor

Major ski resort county (Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin); Holy Cross Energy territory; mountainous terrain eliminates sites; strong NIMBY culture second only to Pitkin; strict viewshed ordinances

Assessment Snapshot

Population

31011

State Rank

#49

Compliance

65%

Trajectory

Moratorium Status

✓ No Active Moratorium

No specific moratorium information available.

Ordinance & Regulations

Setback Requirements

300 ft from non-participating residences; ridgeline and viewshed protections

Zoning Mechanism

Special Use Permit (county planning commission); stringent review

Acreage Caps

Effectively none — no viable utility-scale sites

Density Caps

Spacing Rules

Not applicable

Size Restrictions

Utility-scale solar effectively prohibited by practice

Board Sentiment & Political Risk

Sentiment Analysis

Strongly Protective — ski resort economy; extreme viewshed sensitivity; NIMBY culture

Basis for Assessment

Summit Daily News coverage; county planning records; BOCC public statements

Political Risk Factors

Worsening

Board Members

Tamara Pogue (D, 2026) | Josh Blanchard (D, 2027) | Elisabeth Lawrence (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 on record — no utility-scale solar approved

Denied/Withdrawn Projects

Several exploratory inquiries withdrawn pre-application

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Summit County, CO — Solar Development Risk Assessment