Husch Blackwell’s renewable energy team assisted Lightsource bp in achieving the final funding and commercial operations of the 300 MW Bighorn Solar Project in Pueblo, Colorado, the largest on-site solar facility dedicated to a single customer in the country. It is also the largest solar project in Colorado to date.
Husch Blackwell served as local Colorado and FERC counsel to Lightsource bp through development, construction financing, and tax equity financing and funding, in the areas of real estate, environmental and permitting and electric regulatory.
Lightsource bp Renewable Energy Investments Ltd is a joint venture between Lightsource and BP p.l.c. Lightsource bp owns and operates the solar project and has a long-term agreement with Xcel Energy to provide power to the EVRAZ Rocky Mountain Steel facility immediately adjacent to the solar project at a fixed cost for 20 years. The EVRAZ facility is now the world’s first solar-powered steel mill, with Bighorn Solar offsetting approximately 90 percent of the annual electricity demand from the mill.
The 700,000-panel project supports the broader Colorado Energy Plan, which will deliver 55 percent renewable energy to the grid by 2026 and reduce carbon emissions by 60 percent, as well as Xcel Energy’s vision to deliver 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050.
The Husch Blackwell team was led by Megan Caldwell and Brian Pullin, and also included Maria Faconti, Fred Jauss and Mashaal Bhaidani.