Community-owned Agrivoltaic Solar in Colorado

NCRES - Community-owned Agrivoltaic Solar in Colorado Our Northern Colorado chapter was joined by Joel Danforth of GRID Alternatives for a discussion of the upcoming Technical Guide to Community-owned Agrivoltaic Solar in Colorado. The Technical Guide will focus on the development process for community solar projects with an emphasis on agrivoltaics and will address feasibility studies, project siting, engineering, interconnection agreements, permitting, project financing, procurement, construction, and subscription management. This discussion will introduce the topic with the opportunity for attendees to share perspectives. ABOUT OUR SPEAKER: Joel Danforth serves as the Sr. Director, Equitable Community Solar within GRID’s Policy & Programs Department. Joel brings ten years of utility experience specializing in distributed energy resources, strategic planning, program design, and employee development. Prior to his work in the utility sphere, Joel worked at the U.S. Department of Energy implementing Recovery Act projects and served with the American Red Cross on humanitarian aid efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Joel holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Energy Infrastructure from the Metropolitan State University of Denver and an Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies certificate from the Stanford Center for Professional Development. The program was hosted by Peter Eberle, CRES Chair and NCRES Program Manager. A question and answer session followed the presentation. TIMELINE: 0:00 Welcome and announcements - Peter Eberle 5:33 Presentation - Joel Danforth 49:09 Q&A This program was organized by the Northern Colorado chapter of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society and was recorded at their October 28, 2025, meeting. Contact us at ncres@cres-energy.org or visit us online at https://cres-energy.org/. CREDITS: Video production by Brian Beinlich, https://brianbeinlich.com. Intro/outro photo courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy. Intro/outro music: “Summer of 1984” by RKVC via the YouTube Audio library. ABOUT CRES: For more than 25 years, the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) and its local chapters have provided education, policy advocacy, and community engagement to accelerate Colorado toward a 100% renewable energy future. CRES is a statewide, non-partisan, non-profit, 501(c)3 membership organization that drives environmental, social, and economic benefits for our communities by promoting all forms of renewable energy, energy efficiency, storage, high-performance buildings, and other low- or zero-carbon solutions. CRES features several local monthly speaker series throughout the state, provides speakers, experts, and workshops, and weighs in on state energy policy. Learn more about CRES, membership, and how you can sign up to become a speaker or volunteer by visiting our website at https://cres-energy.org.