Nearly 1,100 acres of government land in Colorado is being auctioned for commercial solar energy production. The land isn’t for sale but the right to the solar production will be sold for lease.
The Bureau of Land Management announced the 1,064 acres is in the De Tilla Gulch area of Saguache County, Colorado. The County is located south of Salida, Colorado and the far southern city of Alamosa. It is also west of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in a sweeping valley known for being the home of the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, not to mention numerous claims of UFO sightings.
Bidding will take place at 10 a.m. on April 27, 2023, at the BLM Rocky Mountain District Office, located at 3028 East Main Street, Cañon City, CO 81212.
De Tilla Gulch was designated as a solar energy zone in 2012, identifying it as a location with substantial potential to produce solar energy at utility-scale and low potential for land use conflicts, including natural and cultural resource conflicts.
The BLM stated that the auction responds to significant development interest for the site, with a Call for Nominations or Expressions of Interest published in the Federal Register receiving replies from multiple potential developers.
The BLM manages vast stretches of public lands that have the potential to make significant contributions to the nation’s renewable energy portfolio. To promote the development of these energy sources, the BLM provides sites for environmentally sound development of renewable energy on public lands.
The efficient deployment of renewable energy from our nation’s public lands is crucial in achieving the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035, as well as Congress’ direction in the Energy Act of 2020 to permit 25 gigawatts of solar, wind, and geothermal production on public lands no later than 2025.
