{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"geography":["Mesa County"]},"warnings":[{"code":"facet_value_not_in_vocabulary","message":"Value 'Mesa County' for facet 'geography' is not in the controlled vocabulary."}]},"total":{"value":2,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?geography=Mesa+County","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"catf-000916","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/catf-000916","title":"Six Best in the Southwest: Outstanding Solar Ordinances","publisher":{"name":"Clean Air Task Force","organization":"clean-air-task-force"},"document_type":"fact sheet","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/14141952/exemplary-solar-ordinances-southwest.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The Clean Air Task Force highlights six counties in the Southwest—Mesa and Weld in Colorado, Summit and Iron in Utah, Mineral in Nevada, and Maricopa in Arizona—that have implemented outstanding solar ordinances. These ordinances are noted for balancing growth with protections, streamlining permitting for federal lands, and clarifying project scale through acreage thresholds rather than production capacity.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"catf-000916#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Mesa County, Colorado, implemented a new solar ordinance in 2024 following a temporary moratorium, which allowed the county to incorporate community feedback and establish regulations that prioritize best practices and balance protections.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"catf-000916#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Weld County, Colorado, updated its 2021 regulations to use acreage and location as the basis for classifying solar energy facilities instead of production capacity, providing a more standard measure of project scale.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"catf-000916#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Summit County, Utah, updated its code in 2021 to enable solar development in its eastern planning district, where such arrays were previously prohibited due to a lack of regulations.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"catf-000916#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Iron County, Utah, utilizes a solar ordinance established in 2010 that distinguishes between primary and accessory solar uses, ensuring accessory solar is permitted by right across all zoning districts.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"catf-000916#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Mineral County, Nevada, has provisions that streamline and expedite the permitting process for solar projects located on federal land, provided they meet federal environmental review standards.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"catf-000916#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Maricopa County, Arizona, permits non-utility-scale solar as an accessory use in any zoning use, while restricting utility-scale solar to industrial zoned land; this framework supported the 973 megawatt Sun Stream Complex, generating $300 million in taxes and lease payments.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"catf-000916#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["solar energy","land-use planning","agrivoltaics","Community solar farm","rooftop photovoltaic system"],"geography_discussed":["Colorado","Utah","Nevada","Arizona","North Carolina"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["case study","best practices"]},{"id":"eesi-000087","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/eesi-000087","title":"Colorado: Grand Valley Power Cooperative","publisher":{"name":"Environmental and Energy Study Institute","organization":"environmental-and-energy-study-institute"},"document_type":"case study","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://www.eesi.org/obf/solar/casestudies","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The document details three community solar initiatives in Colorado, Iowa, and Minnesota. Grand Valley Power Cooperative developed a self-funded 17 kW array and a 24 kW low-income project with Grid Alternatives. Cedar Falls Utilities launched a 1.5 MW 'Simple Solar' program using a power purchasing agreement. Lake Region Electric Cooperative built a 25 kW array. All three utilized on-bill financing—adding lease payments to monthly utility bills—to remove upfront cost barriers, often substituting credit checks with utility payment history to expand eligibility.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eesi-000087#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Grand Valley Power Cooperative's first community solar project, a 17 kW system costing $77,500, initially struggled with a 20% lease rate due to an $800 upfront fee. The co-op successfully increased subscriptions by introducing on-bill financing at $15 per month for five years, using utility bill payment history instead of credit checks to determine eligibility.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eesi-000087#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"In 2015, Grand Valley Power partnered with Grid Alternatives and the Colorado State Energy Office to create a 24 kW solar farm for low-income families. Eligible participants (those earning below 80% of Area Medium Income, or $48,000 for a family of four in Mesa County in 2015) paid no upfront costs but provided 15 hours of \"sweat equity\" and allowed a 2 cents/kWh administrative fee.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eesi-000087#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Cedar Falls Utilities implemented the 1.5 MW \"Simple Solar\" program in 2016, producing approximately 2,600 megawatt-hours annually. The utility used a 25-year power purchasing agreement (PPA) with RER Energy Group, allowing the private developer to claim the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) which the tax-free utility could not access.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eesi-000087#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Cedar Falls Utilities offered 20-year leases on 170 watt units for $270, with three out of four subscribers choosing on-bill financing via 12 no-interest installments. The program saw high demand, with over 1,250 residents and businesses subscribing and the University of Northern Iowa purchasing about 20% of the project.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eesi-000087#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Lake Region Electric Cooperative developed a 25 kW, 60-panel array in 2013 to proactively prepare for potential solar mandates in Minnesota, where some utilities must generate 1.5% of energy from solar. The co-op offered a 'pay over time' option of $40 per month for 35 months for a full panel, avoiding credit score checks in favor of bill payment history.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eesi-000087#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Lake Region Electric Cooperative's solar program attracted many retirees with seasonal homes; the co-op accommodates these users by allowing winter solar credits to be carried forward to spring or summer.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"eesi-000087#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["Community solar farm","power purchase agreement","solar energy"],"geography_discussed":["Mesa County","Cedar Falls","Pelican Rapids"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["case study"]}]}