Black Hollow Solar will have the capacity for 257 MW or power for the utility’s service region
Platte River Power Authority (Platte River) and turnkey solutions partner Qcells USA Corp. (Qcells), broke ground on Northern Colorado’s largest solar generation project on July 10. 
“Black Hollow Solar represents a major milestone in our journey of working toward our noncarbon energy goals as outlined in the board-approved Resource Diversification Policy,” says Jason Frisbie, Platte River general manager and CEO. “We are proud that Black Hollow Solar, when completed, will bring the total amount of solar capacity in our portfolio to 309 MW, help replace the coal-fired generation we will be shutting down before the end of the decade and is by far the largest solar generation project in Northern Colorado.”
The first phase of the project is expected to be complete in May of 2025 and will deliver approximately 367,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy annually to Platte River’s owner communities of Estes Park, Fort Collins, Longmont and Loveland. Phase two of Black Hollow Solar will add an additional 107 MW of capacity in 2026, totaling 257 MW for this project. This is enough to power over 63,000 homes and will increase Platte River’s total solar capacity to 309 MW. 
“Colorado is a national leader in low-cost, renewable energy, and we remain focused on protecting our air quality and environment while saving people money. This project will help us do that by expanding solar capacity in our state and helping Colorado reach our goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2040 while strengthening Northern Colorado communities like Severance,” says Governor Jared Polis.
Per the agreement with Platte River, Qcells will provide turnkey solutions, including project development, engineering, procurement and construction services and will supply more than 540,000 Qcells modules on the Black Hollow Solar project. The electricity generated will be sold to Platte River beginning in May 2025 under a long-term power purchase agreement.
Energy will be delivered to Platte River’s owner communities in Colorado’s north Front Range through a substation currently under construction, adjacent to Platte River’s existing transmission system.
“Qcells is pleased to have been selected by Platte River to develop and construct this exciting project and solidify our commitment to supporting Colorado’s low carbon energy future,” says IP Kim, Qcells’ president. “We are proud to provide energy solutions that support a partner like Platte River, promoting good stewardship of the community while also realizing the benefits this project brings as a clean source of sustainable energy for the next 25-plus years for Northern Colorado communities and to the growth of American energy.” 
The site is located northeast of Black Hollow Reservoir, near the Town of Severance, and the infrastructure will utilize nearly 1,400 acres. Platte River and Qcells engaged with local authorities and stakeholders, including neighbors, state agencies, town councils and county leaders to identify this site. The location was selected after careful review of physical and environmental impacts, land-use constraints and stakeholder feedback.
As Platte River continues to replace coal-fired resources with renewable energy technology, the addition of Black Hollow Solar, along with existing renewable resources, will increase Platte River’s total noncarbon energy generation on an annual basis to 58 percent, serving almost 75 percent of the utility’s four owner communities’ energy needs. Platte River is currently evaluating its next round of renewable energy projects, including wind and battery storage, to continue the pursuit of the utility’s and owner communities’ noncarbon energy goals. Learn more about Platte River’s plans for a noncarbon future at prpa.org/future.