Greenskies Renewable Energy of Middletown installs Colorado solar garden

The Middletown Press | Staff
October 25, 2018

City-based Greenskies Renewable Energy, a Clean Focus company, in partnership with Black Hills Energy, has completed two community solar gardens in southern Colorado.

The projects will distribute clean, renewable energy to Colorado subscribers, according to a press release. Greenskies will maintain and operate the solar gardens, and Clean Focus Yield Limited will own the systems as part of its large portfolio of commercial, industrial, small utility and community solar projects. The projects went online in August 2018, and can power more than 600 homes for an entire year, according to the company.

Posada Pueblo, a nonprofit subscriber to the community solar garden in Rocky Ford, provides housing and support services for the homeless in Pueblo County. “Posada is happy to partner on a project that will reduce costs for low-income rate payers and allow Posada to put more money into programs and services for the homeless families, Veterans, and youth that we serve,” stated Kim Bowman, Executive Director of Posada.

The ground-mount projects reside in Rocky Ford and Ordway, Colorado. The fully-subscribed community solar gardens provide renewable energy to local homeowners, non-profit organizations and businesses unable to install their own solar systems. Subscribers save money on their energy costs by participating in the community solar program. By choosing to receive power from the community solar gardens instead of the utility, subscribers receive credits on their BHE utility bill.

“These leading-edge solar facilities will provide significant renewable energy for the benefit of the businesses and citizens of Rocky Ford and Crowley County. These projects could not have been done without the cooperation of Clean Focus and Black Hills Energy,” Don Banner, chairman, Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority, said in a prepared statement.

These projects are part of Black Hills Energy commitment to bring more renewable energy to southern Colorado. The two Colorado community solar gardens are expected to produce 5,124,400 kWh of clean energy annually, saving 3,814 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. The two projects offset the environmental impact of 429,129 gallons of gasoline or nearly 817 cars each year, according to the release.

“The Rocky Ford and Crowley County community solar projects provide clean, lower-cost energy to local housing authorities, schools, community colleges and city governments. They enable local ratepayers to benefit from solar without any equipment on their roofs or property,” Stanley Chin, president and CEO of Greenskies and Clean Focus, said in the statement.