HOTCHKISS, CO (January 27, 2025) — The U.S. The Department of Energy (DOE) announced this month that a North Fork Valley solar partnership is one of four teams to win a national $200,000 Community Power Accelerator Prize. The North Fork based team now advances to the third and final round, and a $150,000 prize, in this community solar competition sponsored by the DOE National Solar Energy Technologies Office.
The Colorado Farm and Food Alliance-led team seeks to advance several community-based solar
projects that prioritize agriculture, community benefit and renewable energy generation. The
Accelerator Prize award will be used for engineering and other studies at Thistle Whistle Community Solar project near Hotchkiss and to study the feasibility of a second installation at a former coal mine site near Paonia. Both locations are in Delta County, Colorado.
Partners in developing these projects include Colorado Farm & Food Alliance, Thistle Whistle
Community Solar, Mirasol Agrivoltaics and Switchback Restoration, along with community leaders. The award will help to advance at least two community solar projects, starting with a small agrivoltaic array at Thistle Whistle Farm near Hotchkiss. This innovative project will pair agricultural production with solar energy and provide clean power to local farms and residents through the Delta Montrose Electric Association (DMEA) grid.
“I am eager to see this project completed, to benefit my farm and to help provide energy cost savings to other local farms and households,” said Mark Waltermire, owner of Thistle Whistle Farm. “The Community Power prize has been vital in helping to keep this project moving forward.”
Now completing pre-development, the Thistle Whistle Community Solar project will:
● Generate clean, renewable energy for local communities
● Preserve agricultural land through dual-use farming practices
● Increase energy equity through community-solar, returning cost savings to system subscribers
● Create new economic opportunities for local farmers
● Support local food systems while advancing clean energy goals
● Document best practices for agrivoltaic system design and lessons learned for community solar
● Monitor wildlife corridors and habitat enhancement
● Research water conservation benefits in dual-use systems
● Demonstrate pollinator-friendly vegetation management
● Study microclimatic effects on crop yields
The second project is in early pre-development, but will help support mine-site remediation and climate harm reduction at a former coal mine as well as provide an additional community-solar benefit.
“This recognition from the Department of Energy validates our vision for community-based rural
renewables that support both our agricultural heritage and greater energy equity,” said Pete
Kolbenschlag, with the Colorado Farm and Food Alliance and prize team captain. “These projects
demonstrate how rural communities can lead the way in innovative clean energy solutions that preserve farmland, benefit residents and integrate with local livelihoods.”
The North Fork Valley team is still participating in this national competition. In the third, and final, round teams must demonstrate that they have secured the funding necessary to develop their community solar projects. As part of the Phase 3 competition, the project team will be able to present their vision at the Community Power PitchFest event at the DOE Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on March 6, 2025. The Community Power Accelerator Prize is part of the American Made Challenge program, with funding coming from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in 2021.
As part of its mission, the Colorado Farm and Food Alliance provides a platform for rural leadership to develop and implement local solutions that model climate action and strengthen farm and food system resilience. It is the named partner of the Community Power Accelerator Prize.
Mirasol Agrivoltaic is a recently established Colorado nonprofit with a mission to educate about and to help develop community solar projects in the North Fork Valley. With this award it will be able to fill a new and needed leadership role in supporting clean energy, cost savings, and community-based solutions through the Thistle Whistle Community Solar and future projects.
Contacts:
Pete Kolbenschlag, CO Farm & Food Alliance Brandy Emesal, Mirasol Agrivoltaic
pete@colofarmfood.org MirasolAgrivoltaic@gmail.com
Thistle Whistle Community Solar 
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