Public hearing for Cornflower Solar Project is April 9
March 29, 2025
By JOHN WATERS, Courier News Editor
ALAMOSA COUNTY — Korsail Energy, a Denver-based solar energy producer and storage company, has partnered with early-stage finance capital company SolRiver to build a solar production and storage facility in Alamosa County called the Cornflower Solar Project.
The project includes a 90-megawatt solar production system and an 80-megawatt battery system to be located about two miles west of Alamosa.
The company originally proposed building the facility in 2023, but in 2024, the Alamosa County Commissioners rejected an initial plan, citing environmental and other considerations.
A revised application submitted in November 2024 addressed environmental issues by moving the project back from Rock Creek and now includes that about a half of the project will be open to the public as a nature preserve.
Korsail went before the Alamosa County Commissioners on Wednesday for approval of a portion of the permitting process known as a 1041. That process, named after the House Bill 1041, is a state law that gives local governments the authority to regulate the impacts of certain development projects. The commissioners approved that step of the process after a lengthy discussion that included adding fire suppression availability to the proposed 986-acre site.
At the commissioners meeting, Richard Hubler, Alamosa County Land Use Director, said in regard to the fire risk of the lithium-ion batteries for energy storage at the site, “I want to be clear, we are not intending to fight the fire if the battery storage unit itself caught fire because there is not enough water you can put on those. They are well designed, the ones they propose as part of their project cost have a number of fire prevention measures that prevent conflagration that manage the batteries intended to keep one of those containers from going into thermal runaway. However, it is possible that might happen. It is also possible that some of the electric wiring of some of the solar site itself may also catch fire… so I think that is relevant that we be ready for fire response to this site.”
The commissioners decided to require Korsail to bring water to the site for firefighting.
The next step in the permitting process is a county public hearing set for April 9.
During the meeting, several homeowners located near the site expressed their opposition, “My property values are most likely to decrease by 10-20 percent, as per a local realtor and appraiser,” said Eric Burt who also expressed his concerns regarding the impacts the project will have on traffic at the intersection of 160 and 105 with 660 daily vehicle trips from the project, and the increase in noxious weed dispersal from land disturbance from the project. Burt requested the commissioners postpone any decision for 60 days.
In an interview with the Valley Courier, Brandon Conrad with Korsail said, “We submitted our application last November, and we have been waiting for this hearing on April 9. If the hearing doesn’t go well, then the project dies. Hopefully, the community will come out; we have been working with at least 20 local businesses to do work, and so far, we have 60 people in the community who are qualified construction personnel that are lined up.
“If those people come out to the hearing on April 9 and show there is $22 million in economic benefit this project is going to bring, hopefully the commissioners will let us build the project. We keep trying to say to the community, ‘Hey there is a really big economic impact from this project.’”
According to an economic study compiled for the project by Liz Hensley and John Harge, “The Cornflower Solar Project represents a transformative opportunity for Alamosa County, combining renewable energy innovation with substantial benefits.”
The study estimates that the total impact on Alamosa Country is $21.87 million, the post-construction impact is $1.22 million, and the annual property tax revenue impact is estimated at $797,960.
The project’s total cost to be $52.18 million, of which $12.32 million is for local salaries and spending, according to the study.
The solar installation is expected to create 300 construction jobs at its peak, and the company is committed to hiring as many of them as possible from the Valley. In addition, there is a large indirect economic impact; those contractors and subcontractors will contribute to the local economy by staying at hotels, dining at restaurants, and shopping at grocery and hardware stores.
According to a 2022 study by the Rocky Mountain Mechanical Contractors Association, for every $1 spent in construction, the state saw a total return of $2.2 in total output and a significant return in household income.
The economic study includes this, “In addition to its economic influence, the project aligns with broader sustainability goals, positioning Alamosa County as a leader in renewable energy while fostering long-term community development. This report demonstrates how the Cornflower Solar project supports economic vitality, environmental stewardship, and regional resilience.”
The Alamosa County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on April 9 at 8:30 a.m. The meeting will be at 8900 Independence Way and via Zoom with ID 270-314-6874, the public is invited to attend.
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