Construction has begun on a 257MW solar project in Colorado, which will be one of the largest power plants of its kind in the US state when completed.
Platte River Power Authority and turnkey solutions partner Qcells USA Corp (Qcells), broke ground on the Black Hollow Solar project on 10 July.
The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in May 2025 and will deliver approximately 367,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy annually to Platte River’s owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland.
Phase two of Black Hollow Solar will add an additional 107MW of capacity in 2026, bring the total capacity to 257MW.
When operational, Black Hollow Solar will increase Platte River’s total solar capacity to 309MW.
“Black Hollow Solar represents a major milestone in our journey of working toward our non-carbon energy goals as outlined in the board-approved Resource Diversification Policy,” said Platte River general manager/chief executive Jason Frisbie.
“We are proud that Black Hollow Solar, when completed, will bring the total amount of solar capacity in our portfolio to 309MW, help replace the coal-fired generation we will be shutting down before the end of the decade and is by far the largest solar generation project in northern Colorado.”
Per the agreement with Platte River, Qcells will provide turnkey solutions including project development, engineering, procurement and constructions services and will supply over 540,000 Qcells modules on the Black Hollow Solar project.
The electricity generated will be sold to Platte River beginning in May 2025 under a long-term power purchase agreement.
Qcells president IP Kim added: “We are proud to provide energy solutions that support a partner like Platte River, promoting good stewardship of the community while also realizing the benefits this project brings as a clean source of sustainable energy for the next 25+ years for northern Colorado communities and to the growth of American energy.”
The site is located north-east of Black Hollow Reservoir, near the town of Severance.
As Platte River continues to replace coal-fired resources with renewable energy technology, the addition of Black Hollow Solar along with existing renewable resources will increase Platte River’s total non-carbon energy generation on an annual basis to 58% serving almost 75% of the utility’s four owner communities’ energy needs.
Platte River is evaluating its next round of renewable energy projects including wind and battery storage.