A proposed solar farm and battery storage project near Mesa Verde National Park has won support from four electric cooperatives in the region. But some neighbors say its batteries and the sheer size of it could threaten their businesses, homes and the views that draw tourists to the area.
The Valley Range Energy Park would include roughly 900 acres of solar panels, nearly three times the size of Denver’s City Park, and a 62.5-megawatt battery storage system about three miles north of the UNESCO Heritage site, east of Cortez in Montezuma County.
Developer Accelergen Energy says the project would generate up to 125 megawatts of solar power, that's equivalent to enough to keep lights on in homes across Cortez, Durango and nearby Farmington, New Mexico combined for one year.
Empire Electric Association, Gunnison County Electric Association, San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative and San Miguel Power Association estimate that buying the park’s electricity could save them more than $20 million and help pay for infrastructure improvements.
But the proposal comes amid a contentious debate over large solar developments in Montezuma County.
Commissioners temporarily stopped accepting new utility-scale solar applications last year while rewriting county regulations, including how close they can be to homes.
With the new rules in place, Accelergen has leased approximately 2,100 acres from private landowners and the Colorado State Land Board for the project, though much of it would remain undeveloped or serve as wildlife corridors if it’s approved.
Batteries draw scrutiny
The project’s proposed battery system would store electricity for later use, helping balance supply and demand on the electric grid.
Accelergen plans to use lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, known as LFPs, which would be housed in outdoor containers occupying less than an acre total within a 10-acre fenced area.
Although LFPs are generally more resistant to overheating than others, they can still experience thermal runaway — a chain reaction that can release flammable gases and cause fires.
Bryan Davis, who lives nearby and operates a chocolate business close to Mesa Verde, objects to both the project's size and the battery facility’s proximity to the park and nearby community.
“I don't like the solar panels because of the location, but I hate the batteries,” Davis said.
Brandi Atkinson, who owns Bright Star Campground with her husband near the proposed site, worries about what could happen to her guests if a battery fire broke out.
“If something catastrophic happened, having a full campground where nobody's able to shelter in place is really terrifying as a business owner,” Atkinson said.
A recent California fire shapes the debate
Davis and Atkinson point to a January 2025 fire at a battery storage facility in Moss Landing, a coastal community in Monterey County, California.
About 1,200 residents were ordered to evacuate, and the fallout disrupted local businesses.
Davis fears a similar incident near Mesa Verde would hurt the local economy.
“This county can't survive without its tourism revenue,” he said.
But there are important differences between the batteries used at Moss Landing and those proposed for Valley Range.
Donal Finegan, a distinguished researcher at the National Laboratory of the Rockies who specializes in lithium-ion battery failures and safety, said LFP batteries are generally safer than the nickel-manganese-cobalt lithium-ion batteries, or NMCs, used at Moss Landing for three reasons: They can withstand higher temperatures, produce less heat during thermal runaway and release less toxic particles if they burn.
Finegan also explained that separating batteries into outdoor containers as planned at Valley Range can also help prevent a fire from spreading.
“The point of having these containers separated from each other is that if … in the very unlikely event that something does happen and the fire occurs, the container is safe to just burn on its own and it doesn't spread to any neighboring containers or neighboring buildings,” Finegan said.
Josh Skogen, Accelergen's chief development officer, also emphasized the differences between the projects.
“It was a disaster,” Skogen said, referring to Moss Landing. “That is everything we're not doing.”
Accelergen says it plans to monitor the batteries around the clock and follow national safety standards, including the ability to shut things down remotely.
Even with those precautions, the company is preparing for a possible battery emergency. It recently shared a draft emergency response plan with local fire departments and plans to provide firefighter training and water tanks at the site.
Cortez Fire Protection District Chief Roy Wilkinson told CPR News he is waiting for more complete plans before he makes any recommendations.
“Until we have a solid emergency action plan, we are not moving forward on anything,” Wilkinson said. “We have an idea of how to respond to [battery fires]; what we don’t know is the unknown.”
If the project is approved, Wilkinson said his department will take the necessary steps to protect public safety.
Changes made to original plans
Accelergen says it has changed the project's original layout in response to neighbors' concerns.
“The battery storage area was relocated as part of our collaboration with those neighbors,” said Matt Ryan, the company's director of development and project manager for Valley Range.
Skogen said the nearest home would now be about 1,800 feet from the battery facility. That’s the length of about five to six football fields and beyond the 500 feet now required by the county.
Protecting views, dark skies and archaeological sites
Fire safety is only part of the debate surrounding Valley Range.
Mesa Verde was designated an International Dark Sky Park in 2021. Its sweeping views and night skies are also part of the region's tourism appeal.
According to the National Park Service, in 2023, the park drew more than 500,000 visitors who spent nearly $60 million in nearby communities, supporting 776 jobs.
Atkinson said guests at her campground come from across the globe and all 50 states. They regularly comment on the landscape.
“They are absolutely blown away with the views … they come specifically for the night skies,” she said.
Accelergen says the solar park would have no nighttime lighting, but will include lights at the substation. Those, they say, would be shielded and directed downward. Research by Argonne National Laboratory has found that careful lighting design can substantially reduce the nighttime visibility of solar facilities. But a lighting study specific to Valley Range has not yet been completed.
Accelergen has also acknowledged that parts of the solar farm would be visible from inside Mesa Verde.
“Of course, from some of the overlooks, the project will be visible,” Ryan said.
However, the company says the surrounding terrain will shield portions of the project from U.S. Highway 160 and some nearby properties.
“Ensuring that this project has an outsized benefit relative to any potential impacts is really important to us,” Skogen said.
Other proposed view mitigation measures include berms, vegetation and wildlife-friendly fencing.
But Atkinson worries that on the expansive terrain leading up to the base of the park, the berms themselves would obstruct the unique landscape her customers come for.
“I know one thing for sure: they're saying putting up giant just mounds of dirt, so berms, which would clearly destroy the expansive views that we have as a campground,” she said.
The company told CPR News that it has met with National Park Service officials about the project and has put in place potential measures to protect views, wildlife and cultural resources tied to the tribes who once inhabited the park.
Accelergen says it also contacted the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and plans archaeological work before construction in areas where cultural resources may be present.
Significant discoveries could require changes to the project or delay construction. Whether archaeological findings could prevent the development from moving forward remains unclear.
The company says it has accounted for such work in its construction timeline and that there’s a possibility items discovered would be reburied elsewhere.
CPR News reached out to both the tribe and the park for comment, but has not yet heard back.
Four electric cooperatives back the project
If built, it’s estimated that Valley Range's full solar output would be equivalent to about 40% of Empire Electric Association, Gunnison County Electric Association, San Luis Valley Rural Electric Cooperative and San Miguel Power Association’s combined peak electricity demand in 2024.
Accelergen also estimates the project would generate $13.9 million in local property taxes over 35 years, along with approximately 100 local construction jobs and $8 million in local earnings during construction. Skogen said the final tax revenue would depend on the facility's value when built, while electricity savings would depend partly on its output.
When contacted about the project, the Colorado Energy Office emphasized the broader benefits of solar power and battery storage.
“Whether at the utility scale or a local or individual scale, solar energy systems paired with battery storage lower costs and support a clean, reliable power grid for all Coloradans,” the agency said in an email.
Project enters local politics
The project has also become an issue in the race to replace term-limited District 1 County Commissioner Jim Candelaria.
Republican Rodney Cox opposes Valley Range. Democrat Rebecca Busic supports it, but told CPR that commissioners should judge applications against the county's land-use code rather than their personal preferences.
Busic said she worries that denying a project that meets local requirements could expose the county to a lawsuit.
Accelergen submitted its application to the county’s Planning and Zoning department in early September. It includes roughly 1,000 pages of project information and impact studies. The company expects a hearing on the proposal with that team in December, followed by a hearing before county commissioners in the new year. But county officials have not confirmed those dates.
Don Haley with planning and zoning told CPR News the department is just him and one other person. He emphasized they want to ensure a complete review of the application before making a recommendation to the commission.
If approved, construction on Valley Range would not begin until early 2029, depending on when upgrades needed to connect the project to the grid are complete.
One thing that could complicate the county's review: sitting commissioner Kent Lindsay is in a dual role, also serving as vice president of Empire Electric’s board. The cooperative is among the prospective buyers of Valley Range's electricity.
In the past, he’s recused himself from matters tied to Empire, but when asked by CPR whether he would recuse himself from the county's decision for the Valley Range project, Lindsay said he’s still working with lawyers to determine his course of action. “We'll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said.
When the proposal goes before commissioners, residents will also have an opportunity to comment. Local business owner Bryan Davis hopes commissioners will reject it, but isn't sure how much weight they'll give public opposition.
“We don't know how many people who signed the petitions are going to show up. We don't know if the commissioners are going to care what the public thinks at all,” he said.