Large Solar and Battery Project Enters Las Animas County Transmission Queue

A utility scale clean energy project took a formal step forward when an interconnection request labeled GI CS 2025 12 appeared in public queue summaries maintained by Tri State Generation and Transmission Company. The filing, dated September 24, 2025, identifies the proposal as a combined generation project composed of solar and battery storage, with a proposed capacity range of 100 to 200 megawatts and a referenced interconnection point on the Walsenburg to Gladstone 230 kV transmission line in Las Animas County. The listing shows the transmission owner as Tri State and gives a proposed commercial completion date of December 31, 2029.

Because this request is recorded in the active interconnection queue, it triggers a sequence of technical and regulatory steps that affect county planning and utilities. Interconnection studies will assess whether upgrades to the regional transmission system are required, and they will estimate costs and timelines for any network improvements. Those studies, and any resulting construction, can influence land use decisions near the referenced transmission corridor, and they may require permits and environmental review at multiple levels of government.

For Las Animas County residents the economic implications include potential construction employment and lease or purchase activity for land, as well as later property tax and local revenue impacts if the project reaches commercial operation. From a broader market perspective the pairing of solar with battery storage in the West power market addresses two persistent challenges regional grid operators face, namely variable renewable output and the need for flexible capacity. A 100 to 200 megawatt project is utility scale, meaning it could materially affect local generation supply and the utilization of the Walsenburg to Gladstone transmission line if it proceeds.

Long term, the entry of this project into Tri States queue reflects ongoing trends in Colorado and the western United States toward integrating solar and storage assets onto existing transmission corridors. County officials and residents should expect a period of technical review and public permitting before any ground is broken, and they will have opportunities to weigh in on siting, local benefits, and mitigation measures as the interconnection process moves forward.