Southeast Colorado is getting two new solar power projects, thanks to Black Hills Energy, the firm that provides electricity and natural gas to customers in 8 states.
Black Hills has joined forces with Greenskies Renewable Energy to install solar gardens in Rocky Ford and Ordway. The Rocky Ford operation will be a 500-kilowatt project while Ordway’s solar garden will be a 2-megawatt facility.
“We are excited to deliver a solution to the growing interest in solar energy from both customers and community leaders and expand our renewable portfolio at the same time with the construction of these new community solar gardens,” Vance Crocker, Black Hills Energy’s vice president of Colorado’s electric utility operations, said in a statement.
Greenskies, a Clean Focus company, will maintain and operate the facilities for subscribers to the solar power. Clean Focus Yield Limited will own the arrays as part of its portfolio of commercial, industrial, small utility and community solar projects.
“The Rocky Ford and Crowley County community solar projects provide clean energy to local housing authorities, schools, community colleges and city governments and enable customers to benefit from solar without any equipment on their roofs or property,” said Stanley Chin, president and CEO of Greenskies and Clean Focus Group.
Black Hills Energy serves 1.2 million customers in Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming.