Editing San Luis Valley (section)

===Solar energy===
The San Luis Valley is an alpine desert environment which is conducive to solar energy production. It has the highest per capita concentration of home-based solar energy systems in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Walton |first=Brett |date=2012-01-27 |title=Visions of Solar Energy's Future Compete in Colorado's San Luis Valley |url=https://www.circleofblue.org/2012/world/visions-of-solar-energys-future-compete-in-colorados-san-luis-valley/#:~:text=As%20far%20back%20as%20the%20early%201980s,%20the,which%20is%20now%20the%20National%20Renewable%20Energy%20Laboratory. |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Circle of Blue |language=en-US}}</ref> Colorado law requires that 30% of the power used in the state be generated from renewable sources by 2020. It also requires that 3% of the power generated be used at or near where it is generated; i.e. [[distributed generation]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/colorado-to-boost-renewables-requirements/ |title=Colorado increases renewables requirements |first=Kate |last=Galbraith |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 22, 2010 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

There are also a number of utility-scale [[photovoltaic power stations]] in the valley, and an active market in selling or leasing land to be used for solar facilities.<ref name = "Solar Controversy">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/us/04electricity.html |title=Going solar is harder than it looks, a valley finds |first=Kirk |last=Johnson |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=June 3, 2010 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2007, [[SunEdison]] constructed the 7.7&nbsp;megawatt [[Alamosa Photovoltaic Power Plant]] on about 80&nbsp;acres near the town of [[Mosca, Colorado]]. It was the largest grid-connected solar electric facility in the United States at that time.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://coloradoenergynews.com/2008/12/san-luis-valley-home-to-most-productive-uility-scale-solar-power-plant/ |title=San Luis Valley home to most productive utility-scale solar power plant in the nation |newspaper=Colorado Energy News |date=December 24, 2008 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> It was followed in 2010 by the 19&nbsp;megawatt [[Greater Sandhill Solar Plant]], in 2011 by the 30&nbsp;megawatt [[San Luis Valley Solar Ranch]], in 2012 by the 30&nbsp;megawatt [[Alamosa Solar Generating Project]], and in 2015 by the 50&nbsp;megawatt [[Hooper Solar PV Power Plant]]. All are located on previously developed agricultural lands near Mosca.

On 11&nbsp;December 2009, more than 125&nbsp;people gathered to respond to a proposal by Tessera Solar (affiliated with [[Stirling Energy Systems]]) to install 8,000 parabolic mirrors, 40&nbsp;feet each, on {{convert|1500|acre|km2}} near [[Saguache, Colorado]]. At issue was the noise expected to be generated by the numerous [[stirling engine]] generators, and the wisdom of industrial solar facilities in general.<ref>{{cite news|title=Public meeting on solar proposal jam-packed Citizens & County scrutinize industrial solar development |first=Ceal |last=Smith |newspaper=Crestone Eagle |date=January 1, 2010 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The application for a permit was withdrawn on 11&nbsp;July 2011.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tessera withdraws SunCatcher application |url=http://crestoneeagle.com/2011/08/11/tessera-withdraws-suncatcher-application/ |access-date=August 11, 2011 |newspaper=The Crestone Eagle |date=August 11, 2011 |first=Matie Belle |last=Lakish |quote=we have determined not to proceed with this permit application further |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327221904/http://crestoneeagle.com/2011/08/11/tessera-withdraws-suncatcher-application/ |archive-date=March 27, 2012 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> There has also been controversy regarding proposed transmission lines over both Poncha and La Veta passes, which would open the door to much more industrial solar development.<ref name="Solar Controversy"/> Opposition to a proposed transmission line has resulted in possible delays in development of solar facilities by [[Xcel Energy]] which together with Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association serves the valley.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_15230643 |title=Xcel seeks eased solar requirement amid dispute over transmission line |first=David |last=Migoya |newspaper=[[The Denver Post]] |date=2010-06-05 |access-date=June 7, 2010 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 2012, the [[United States Department of Interior]] designated several Solar Energy Zones on [[Bureau of Land Management|BLM lands]] in the valley, although no projects have yet been announced to be in development.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://solareis.anl.gov/sez/index.cfm |title=Solar Energy Zones Identified in the Solar Energy Development Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement |publisher=Argonne National Laboratory |access-date=March 11, 2019 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>