Holy Cross Energy members will have access to locally generated renewable energy
OAKLAND, Calif., October 26, 2021 — Primergy Solar, LLC (‘Primergy’) announced today that it completed construction on the Pitkin Solar Project, a 5 MW, 35-acre solar installation in Pitkin County, near Aspen, Colorado. The project is located near Woody Creek in the Roaring Fork Valley on land leased from the Aspen Consolidated Sanitation District (ACSD). The land was originally purchased by ACSD for its dry land farming operation which put wastewater treatment by-products to beneficial use. Energy from the project will be sold to Holy Cross Energy, an electric co-op serving almost 45,000 members in Western Colorado, under a 25-year power purchase agreement.
“The completion of the Pitkin Solar Project is an important step on our journey to 100% clean energy for our members,” said Bryan Hannegan, President and CEO of Holy Cross Energy. “We very much appreciate the efforts made by Primergy to work with Pitkin County to minimize the impact to the local community from the construction of this new source of clean and resilient energy for the upper Roaring Fork Valley.”
Primergy completed development, oversaw construction and will operate the plant. The project was originally slated to have 18,000 cubic yards of civil work and a 20-foot berm constructed. However, the Primergy team was able to eliminate these elements by utilizing its responsible and efficient construction processes, and low-touch land-management. Primergy installed the project without having to grade the site and minimized environmental impacts.
“Primergy Solar was an excellent partner to work with on this project” said John Keleher, ACSD Chairman. “They have been outstanding all around. Their patience and sensitivity to the land use review process was excellent. This solar project directly aligns with our purpose of protecting the environment. The power cost savings that result from our capital contribution will save ACSD customers money in the long run. This renewable energy project helps us directly off-set the large amount of power we consume providing advanced wastewater treatment for our customers.”
The site is located under a flight path near the Aspen Airport and next to a popular pedestrian trail and residential neighborhood, which posed unique challenges including landscape requirements and glare concerns. There are approximately 13,700 solar panels installed and Primergy selected innovative solar products to help maximize energy production including bifacial panels and tracking systems. The panels are also a specialized anti-glare product to cut down on reflected light for both planes flying over and for neighbors.
“In Pitkin County, as with all our projects, we aim to chart out the most responsible path toward clean power to make communities more resilient and sustainable. Our ability to deliver is not based on chance, but rigor and an obsessive focus on detail and process. We are proud of the lasting partnerships we’ve created with local community agencies and members here in Aspen and with Holy Cross Energy. When Primergy manages a project, you can trust it will be done in a timely, precise, and thoughtful way.”
Ty Daul, Primergy Solar CEO
In addition to the completion of the project, Primergy closed on tax-equity financing from Regions Bank. Regions Bank helped the company navigate the increasingly dynamic tax equity landscape, deliver expertise in an evolving clean energy market and provide efficient capital solutions. With the Pitkin Solar Project financing in place, Primergy expects to significantly expand its clean energy platform in distributed solar solutions for other local communities across the US. For more information on Primergy, please visit https://www.primergysolar.com/.
About Primergy Solar
Primergy Solar, LLC (https://www.primergysolar.com) is a developer, owner and operator focused on both distributed and utility scale solar PV and battery storage projects in North America. Primergy Solar features a diverse and talented team with decades of experience in renewables project development, financing, construction and operations. It is currently managing and progressing a significant portfolio of operational and development stage solar+ battery storage projects. Primergy Solar is a portfolio company of Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners and represents Quinbrook’s principal solar and solar plus energy storage investment platform in North America.
About HCE
Founded in 1939, Holy Cross Energy is a not-for-profit rural electric cooperative that provides safe, reliable, affordable and sustainable energy and services that improve the quality of life for more than 44,500 members and their communities in Western Colorado. Committed to leading the responsible transition to a clean energy future, HCE was named the 2020 Electric Cooperative of the Year by the Smart Electric Power Alliance for their work in clean energy.
About Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners
Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners (www.quinbrook.com) is a specialist investment manager focused exclusively on renewables, storage and grid support infrastructure and operational asset management in the US, UK and Australia. Quinbrook is led and managed by a senior team of power industry professionals who have collectively invested over $8 billion of equity in energy infrastructure assets since the early 1990’s, representing a total enterprise value of $28.7 billion or 19.5 GW of power supply capacity. Quinbrook’s investment and asset management team has offices in Houston, London, Jersey, and the Gold Coast of Australia. Quinbrook has completed a diverse range of direct investments in both utility and distributed scale wind power, solar PV, peaking power and grid support, biomass, battery storage and ‘micro-grid’ installations in the US, UK and Australia.
About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $156 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates more than 1,300 banking offices and approximately 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com