Colorado School Trust Land Solar Surpasses 800MW Goal With New Project
The Colorado Sun reports that the State Land Board has approved a 120-megawatt solar farm on 1,140 acres of trust land in Pueblo County, pushing total renewable generation permitted on Colorado public school lands to 806 megawatts, past the state’s 800-megawatt target set for next June. The Mirasol Solar project, part of a larger 200-megawatt development that also spans adjacent private land, carries a $540 million capital investment from developers and could generate more than $26.3 million in lease revenue for the school trust over the life of the agreement. Construction starts next year, with the project connecting to Xcel Energy/Public Service transmission lines and reaching the grid in winter 2028.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Civil, electrical, and E&I contractors serving southern Colorado should note the 2027 construction start and winter 2028 interconnection date as the key window for staffing and equipment planning on Mirasol.
- The project’s link to new Xcel Energy/Public Service transmission infrastructure suggests parallel subcontract packages for line work and substation construction beyond the solar array itself.
- Land board leasing terms require minimal ground disturbance, native plant restoration after construction, and full reclamation at decommissioning, so bidders should budget for environmental compliance and revegetation scopes alongside standard EPC work.
- With trust land renewable capacity now past 800MW and still growing, EPCs and specialty subs working solar, wind, battery storage, and transmission should watch for additional Land Board leasing announcements as a recurring bid source in the region.
