The Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners approved a land use lease for the 120 MW Mirasol Solar Project on 1,140 acres of state trust land in Pueblo County, making it the largest solar installation in agency history.
The project anchors a broader push by Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ administration to deploy renewable energy infrastructure across state-owned parcels. Revenue generated from the project’s lease agreement flows directly to Colorado’s Public School Fund. The state’s public school endowment recently surpassed $2 billion in total assets as the Land Board marks its 150th year.
Developed by Mirasol Energy Center, LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy, the project is located on 1,140 acres approximately five miles south of Avondale in Pueblo County. County land-use filings authorize a facility size of up to 200 MW of photovoltaic solar generation alongside 200 MW of battery energy storage, interconnecting to the Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo / Xcel Energy) grid via a new 230 kV transmission line hookup at the existing Mirasol Switchyard.
Following local permit extensions and state land lease approvals, the project is scheduled to enter commercial operation in late 2028.
State officials structured the lease to combine commercial solar generation with utility-scale battery energy storage systems. Land Board administrators noted that the project helps the agency advance toward its administrative target of hosting 750 MW of clean energy capacity across its statewide portfolio.
“Surpassing $2 billion in the State Land Board’s 150th year is a powerful example of history with purpose,” said State Land Board Director Nicole Rosmarino. “The value generated from these lands does not end with a single lease or a single generation. It becomes part of an enduring trust that will continue supporting Colorado students well into the future.”
The approval aligns with constitutional mandates requiring the Land Board to generate consistent financial returns for K-12 public education while applying statutory conservation stipulations across leased acreage. Project development timelines and interconnection schedules will proceed following local county permit filings.
According to Solar Energy Industries Association market reports, Colorado hosts 5.77 GWdc of installed solar capacity alongside 2.3 GWh of energy storage. The state market accounts for $11.1 billion in total solar investment, 170,281 individual installations, and supports 8,071 solar jobs across 379 local companies.
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