About the Project

Maps & Plans

Project Area Plan

The project will sit on four parcels totaling just over 1,000 acres. The actual built area of the project will be just over 600 acres.

Project Screening Plan

OneEnergy plans to preserve existing stands of pinyon pine and juniper around the perimeter of the project. These natural visual screens will preserve views for neighboring landowners and passersby, and will be supplemented with additional tree plantings where necessary.

Habitat Preservation Plan

The State Land parcel is bisected by the Gurley Ditch, which forms an important riparian corridor that provides high-quality habitat for several important plant and animal species. In addition, several large wetlands occupy other portions of the State Land parcel. These areas will all be excluded from the built area of the solar farm in order to preserve both water and habitat quality. The preservation of the Gurley Ditch riparian area will also provide a corridor for wildlife, including deer and elk, to continue using and passing through the parcel.

Project Visualizations

Southwest Corner View of State Land Parcel 

This visualization is a view of the project from the southwest corner of the State Land parcel, looking northeast across the project area. The Gurley Ditch riparian corridor can be seen in the distance, along with some of the wetlands and the tree screening around the boundary of the project.

Lone Cone Road view of Private Parcels

This visualization is a view of the private land parcels looking northward along Lone Cone Road. The preserved existing trees almost entirely screen out the solar farm for the view down the road.

Project Characteristics

Land & Agriculture

The Wright's Mesa Solar Project is located on state and private land that is currently used for grazing cattle. Because of this, OneEnergy is designing Wright's Mesa Solar as an "agrivoltaic" project. This means that instead of changing the land from grazing to solar, the land will be kept in grazing while adding the solar use on top. OneEnergy has been in conversation with a local rancher to graze ~200 sheep on the site underneath the solar panels. The dual-use nature of the Wright's Mesa Solar project will ensure that solar is not displacing the agricultural use of the land. Agriculture is important to the past, present, and future of Wright's Mesa's culture and economy and, through solar grazing, OneEnergy is endevaoring to protect and add to that legacy. 

 

 

Permitting for the Wright’s Mesa Solar Project will consist of a Special Use Permit (SUP) from San Miguel County. The purpose of an SUP is to allow a use (in this case, solar) in a given zone district that is not allowed by right, but without changing the underlying zoning of the land. The land on which the Wright’s Mesa Solar Project is planned is located in the “Wright’s Mesa Zone District,” which is primarily agricultural in nature. Because the project would operate under an SUP, this means that the change in land use is only temporary, and only for this specific project. At the end of the project’s lifetime, the zoning will remain agricultural, and the land will be returned to a purely agricultural use.

 

 

Roads & Local Infrastructure

Public roads used to access the project during construction and operations will be left in the same or better condition than they were prior to project use. OneEnergy will put this commitment in writing through the permitting process with San Miguel County.

 

Apart from public roads, the Wright’s Mesa Solar Project will not use any other local infrastructure. The project requires no permanent source of water (groundwater wells or otherwise), and does not need sewer service. OneEnergy will coordinate with the Norwood Fire Protection District through the county permitting process to ensure that the project meets the fire department’s needs and standards.

 

Wildlife

A wildlife survey was conducted on the project site on June 14th and 15th, 2022. No sensitive or protected species were found to be present or nesting on the site. OneEnergy will also be conducting preliminary consultations with the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife (CPW) prior to its permit application to ensure that the site addresses all species concerns and offers the maximum potential benefit to wildlife and threatened and endangered species and creates the best possible habitat during project operations.

These benefits will come from siting the project on the least valuable habitat, while preserving and restoring those portions of the land that contain the highest quality and most important habitat for local wildlife. This includes existing stands of mature, dense tree cover, wetlands, and riparian corridors.

Wetlands, Water, & Stormwater

A wetlands survey was conducted on the project site on June 14th and 15th, 2022. The extent of the wetlands and waterbodies on the site were determined and surveyed. The design of the Wright’s Mesa Solar project is such that no impacts to wetlands or water bodies are expected, and no permitting through the Army Corps of Engineers will be required. OneEnergy is coordinating with San Miguel County to meet its wetland impact requirements.

To protect water quality during both construction and operation of the Wright’s Mesa Solar Project, OneEnergy will design the project to comply with all relevant and applicable standards and regulations for stormwater management, including those of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment (CDPHE), and San Miguel County. OneEnergy plans to accomplish this compliance through employment of temporary and permanent Best Management Practices.

Where possible and to the best extent feasible, Best Management Practices include:

  • Preserving the existing vegetation.
  • Designing the project to be compatible with the existing topography, soils, and vegetation.
  • Scheduling grading and construction to minimize soil exposure.
  • Inspecting and maintaining control measures during construction.
  • Minimizing concentrated flows and diverting runoff away from exposed areas.
  • Minimizing slope grade and length.
  • Keeping runoff velocities low by using channel linings or temporary structures in drainage channels.
  • Preparing drainageways and outlets to handle concentrated or increased runoff.
  • Using flagged poles or stakes to mark storm drains, catch basins, curb inlets, and other BMPs
  • Vegetating and mulching disturbed areas.

Restoration, Reclamation, and Revegetation

At the end of the project’s life, OneEnergy will be responsible for removing the solar improvements and restoring the land to its original use. This will include the removal of roads on the site, soil treatment as necessary, and revegetating any areas disturbed during the removal of the solar improvements. At the end of the project life, the site will be restored to its natural hydrology and plant communities to the greatest extent possible. These commitments will be made in writing through the county permitting process.