ContourGlobal’s first renewable energy facility in US comes online

BHS I represents ContourGlobal’s first operating renewable plant in the US and the initial phase of the Black Hollow Sun complex, which will also include BHS II (139 MWp). When fully completed in 2026, the power complex will reach a total capacity of 324 MWp, making it Northern Colorado’s largest solar project and Platte River’s largest contracted solar asset.

Once fully operational, the complex will produce around 608 GWh of clean energy each year, which will be delivered to Platte River Power Authority, the community-owned utility serving Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park, and Longmont. This is enough clean electricity to power more than 73 000 homes in Northern Colorado while avoiding almost 450 000 tpy of CO₂ emissions.

This milestone marked a highlight of ContourGlobal’s 20^th anniversary celebrations, underscoring both its origins in the US two decades ago, and its commitment to becoming a predominantly renewable independent power producer (IPP).

Antonio Cammisecra, CEO of ContourGlobal, responded: “The start of operations at BHS I is a pivotal moment for ContourGlobal, marking our first US renewable plant to reach operational state, and especially meaningful as we celebrate our 20th anniversary since the company was incorporated in the US. This project, together with BHS II, targeted for completion by the end of 2026, exemplifies our strategy to deliver clean, reliable power while strengthening our commitment to local communities and partners such as Platte River Power Authority.”

As part of its 20-year presence in US energy, ContourGlobal is using US-manufactured solar modules supplied by its partner Qcells, which is also providing its integrated engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) solutions for this project.

The completion of BHS I adds 185 MWp of new renewable capacity to ContourGlobal’s overall US portfolio, which now totals 2.8 GW of power generation capacity in operation, under construction, or in late-stage of development.

The company’s current operational portfolio (1.5 GW) also includes a thermal fleet of 10 plants located in California, New Mexico, and Texas, as well as a light fuel oil plant in Connecticut.

ContourGlobal’s planned renewable capacity in the US includes an additional 1 GW of solar PV and 0.3 GW of battery energy storage system projects at various stages of maturity, from late development to advanced construction.

The BHS I facility, located in Weld County, near the town of Severance and only about 16 miles east of Fort Collins, is the first phase of the larger BHS complex, originally developed by Hanwha Renewables and acquired by ContourGlobal earlier in 2025.

Utility scale solar projects like BHS I generate significant local benefits by engaging hundreds of skilled workers and regional partners during each construction phase. For BHS I, the construction period created approximately 450 direct jobs and 250 indirect jobs, strengthening the local economy through partnerships with contractors, suppliers, and service providers across the region.

With BHS I now proceeding to commercial operation, construction on BHS II (139 MWp) is well underway. Both phases were designed to integrate seamlessly through shared infrastructure, optimising land use and technical efficiency. BHS II is expected to begin operations by end of 2026.

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