Sun Mountain solar

Deepening our investment in Colorado’s clean energy future

In October 2021, Lightsource bp and Xcel Energy announced a PPA for the development of Sun Mountain Solar, a 293 megawatt solar farm in Pueblo, Colorado. The project will be Lightsource bp’s second in the city with power sales to Xcel, representing a cumulative half billion-dollar private investment in Colorado’s clean power infrastructure.

Lightsource bp has financed, mobilized construction, and will own and operate the facility and deliver the solar energy it generates to Xcel Energy under a long-term power purchase agreement. Xcel Energy provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Full construction has started, with commercial operation expected by late 2022.

The Sun Mountain power purchase agreement complements Xcel Energy’s broader Colorado Energy Plan to deliver 55% renewable energy to the grid and reduce carbon emissions 60% by 2026. It also supports Colorado’s clean energy goal to reduce emissions statewide 26% by 2025, 50% by 2030, and 90% by 2050 – creating cleaner and healthier communities across Colorado while contributing to local economies.

Bighorn Solar, Lightsource bp’s first Pueblo project powering the EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel mill, provides an additional 300MW of solar-generated electricity to Xcel Energy. At both the Sun Mountain and Bighorn solar farms, Lightsource bp is installing and conserving in total over 3,000 acres of shortgrass prairie, creating habitat for wildlife while bolstering the sites’ ability to sequester carbon.