This summer, Poudre Valley REA announced that Northern Colorado’s first community solar farm was officially up and running. The farm allows PVREA members, after paying $618 per panel (including rebates and tax-credits), to utilize the renewable energy source regardless of their home’s location. Solar’s fortunes, however, seem to have dimmed. The Business Report asked PVREA CEO Brad Gaskill what’s next for energy in Northern Colorado and how he plans to get there.


Q: Why did PVREA decide to commit to building a community solar farm?

A: Well, I think it’s really two-fold.

In 2007, the Colorado General Assembly passed legislation that required Cooperative Electric Associations, including Poudre Valley Rural Electric Association, to have a certain percentage of our energy portfolio come from eligible renewable energy resources.

Under the current legislation, we’re required to have 10 percent of our portfolio come from renewable sources by 2020. That’s certainly been a factor in our decisions to add renewable energy to our resource mix. It’s a legislative mandate we have to meet. The second reason is that our