Project is the fourth completed by the partnership between United Power and Silicon Ranch
BRIGHTON, Colo. (Dec. 14, 2020) – United Power, Inc. and Silicon Ranch Corporation today announced the commissioning of a new 6-megawatt (MWAC) solar energy plant in Weld County, Colorado. The facility is located east of Platteville and generates enough low-cost, renewable power to help serve more than 1,200 residential United Power members annually.
The facility, named Rattlesnake II, is an expansion of the 16 MWAC Rattlesnake I, which was the largest cooperative solar farm in Colorado when it was commissioned in 2017. United Power and Silicon Ranch have now partnered on four (4) utility-scale solar facilities in Weld County that collectively generate a total of 41.5 MWAC, or enough to power approximately 8,000 households. United Power leads all co-ops in Colorado for distributed generation and is one of the top co-ops in the nation for solar deployment.
Silicon Ranch, the U.S. solar platform for Shell and one of the nation’s largest independent power producers, funded the installation and will own and operate the facility. United Power, a rural electric cooperative serving more than 250,000 customers throughout Colorado’s northern Front Range, will consume all the power locally at cost-competitive rates over the life of the contract.
“United Power is making every effort to provide clean, affordable energy to all our member-owners,” stated Bryant Robbins, Acting CEO of United Power. “On behalf of United Power, I want to thank Silicon Ranch for their dedication to this partnership, and for their collaborative approach, commitment to execution, and ongoing role in supporting the communities we serve.”
“Part of what makes electric cooperatives unique is their guiding principle of ‘Concern for Community,’ and this value is a hallmark of the way United Power does business,” said Reagan Farr, Co-Founder and CEO of Silicon Ranch. “Silicon Ranch is proud to be United Power’s long-term partner and honored to work shoulder to shoulder with them to optimize their portfolio and ensure their members capture value as the energy transition unfolds.”
To construct the Rattlesnake II facility, Silicon Ranch selected PCL Construction Services, one of the largest contractors in North America. More than 50 workers, the majority of whom were hired locally, were recruited for the nearly 5-month construction effort.
“It was important for PCL to hire locally for Rattlesnake II as the project benefits the surrounding communities, and we wanted our workers to have a personal stake in the success of the project,” said Ryan Schmidt, PCL Denver’s District Manager. “With over 300 days of sunshine in Colorado, there’s no better place to bring solar energy to life than in our own backyard.”
In addition to providing United Power members with low-cost renewable power, Rattlesnake II will soon feature Silicon Ranch’s holistic approach to land management, which the company has trademarked Regenerative Energy®. Under this unique platform, Silicon Ranch will restore the land to a functioning shortgrass ecosystem while keeping the property in agricultural production through managed sheep grazing in partnership with Colorado sheep ranchers. Key to this approach is managing the land based on close observations of soil, grass, and the water cycle, resulting in additional and quantifiable ecological, economic, and social outcomes that are backed by third-party verified standards.
About United Power, Inc.
United Power is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric cooperative delivering electricity to more than 97,000 meters at homes, businesses, and farms in Colorado’s north central front range. For more information about the cooperative, visit www.unitedpower.com or follow them on social media at facebook.com/unitedpower or twitter.com/unitedpowercoop.
About PCL Construction
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in more than 30 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of $6 billion USD, making PCL one of the largest contracting organizations in North America. Watch us build at PCL.com.
About Silicon Ranch Corporation
Silicon Ranch is the U.S. solar platform for Shell and one of the largest independent solar power producers in the country. Silicon Ranch’s work with a diverse set of customers across the country, including electric cooperatives and Fortune 500 companies, demonstrates its ability to customize solutions that ensure successful outcomes. The company’s operating portfolio includes more than 140 facilities across 14 states from New York to California, including ten (10) in northern Colorado. To learn more, visit siliconranch.com and follow on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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Media Contacts
United Power, Inc.
Heidi Storz
303-637-1259
hstorz@unitedpower.com
Silicon Ranch Corporation
Rob Hamilton
629-202-4009
rob.hamilton@siliconranch.com