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Steamboat Magazine

$2.1 Million Grant Awarded For Regional Solar Project

01/11/2021 10:42AM ● By City of Steamboat Springs

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO- The City of Steamboat Springs and its partners received a $2.1 million grant award from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs Energy Impact Fund for a regional solar project.

“This is an enormous grant for Northwest Colorado and shows the commitment from a number of organizations to be fiscally efficient and also in moving toward renewable energy in support of Colorado’s goal of being 100% renewable energy by 2040,” commented Winnie DelliQuadri, Special Projects/Intergovernmental Services Manager for the City of Steamboat Springs.

This project will see installation of solar arrays at 14 local government facilities in cities and towns of Craig, Steamboat Springs, Hayden, Oak Creek and Yampa as well as with Moffat County School District, the Yampa Valley Regional Airport and Moffat and Routt Counties. The grant fund will be used to buy down the payback period for each partner to a 10-year period.

Within this grant, the City of Steamboat Springs will serve as fiscal agent and will provide project management. All partners have signed an MOU with the Colorado Energy Office and performance contracting IGA’s with McKinstry, which will oversee the construction of the individual projects.

Individual projects range from $63,500 to nearly $900,000 and involve DC and AC electrical work, minor boring for ground mount foundations, trenching for AC conduit, and minor site grading. Permanent fences will be installed when necessary. With the grant award, project partners can begin the performance contracting process. Construction is slated for spring and projects are anticipated to be complete within 12 months.

In related news, the City of Craig also received a $1.8M grant on behalf of regional partners, including the City of Steamboat Springs, for a solar garden project from DOLA. The two grants bring nearly $4M dollars to Northwest Colorado and support the region’s use of renewable energy.

The Department of Local Affairs’ (DOLA) Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund (EIAF) program was created to assist political subdivisions that are socially and/or economically impacted by the development, processing, or energy conversion of minerals and mineral fuels.