Gunnison City has passed a temporary land use regulation allowing commercial-scale solar energy facilities in the city and has approved a conditional use permit for the first solar installation on land owned by ACT Aerospace.
The council took the action even though it would result in a loss to Gunnison City of approximately $20,000 per year, because the city would no longer receive franchise fees on power Rocky Mountain Power sells to ACT. According to discussion at the council meeting, about $6,000 per year would come in from property taxes on the installation, but that would still leave a net revenue loss to the city. Currently, power franchise fees are earmarked for subsidizing the Gunnison swimming pool.
The temporary land use regulation, which was approved for 180 days, opens the door for commercial-scale solar generating facilities to be built in the Gunnison industrial park at the north end of the city. The new regulation does not allow solar-power generation in any other zone and does not approve it for residential use. The temporary regulation was the first hurdle in ACT going solar, which it plans to do by bringing in an independent solar power development company, which will be called Gunnison Solar, LLC.
Gunnison Solar plans to build a solar panel array on 13 acres of ACT land and then lease the solar equipment to ACT. ACT will then draw power from the solar installation with the goal of meeting 85 percent of its power needs. Even with the temporary land use regulation approved, a conditional use permit is required for each individual facility, leaving who can and can’t install a solar array in the city at the discretion of the city council. Sanpete Messenger
