Cloud City Solar
Through our subsidiary, Cloud City Solar, C4 preserves and operates community solar gardens (CSGs) to expand access to renewable energy, preserve local assets, and deliver long-term community benefit.
In 2024, C4 launched Cloud City Solar to preserve and restore Lake County’s only community solar garden. Since then, we’ve acquired and made critical repairs to another nine CSGs across Xcel territory.
Not only do Cloud City Solar’s ten gardens provide a broad subscriber base with renewable energy (including 5% of capacity reserved for low- and moderate-income households), they also represent a new frontier in C4’s sustainability efforts.
Cloud City Solar by the Numbers
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7,000,000
kWh of electricity generated each year, enough to power…
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1,000
households annually, the equivalent of….
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20%
of Lake County’s residential energy usage, thanks to a…
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46%
increase in production since C4 took ownership & made improvements, providing an additional....
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1,835,362
kWh of renewable power each year.
C4 is acquired Lake County's only community solar garden (CSG) in May 2024 and, in April 2025, completed repairs to get it back up and running! Since then, we’ve acquired 9 additional CSGs.
How did this come about, and what does it mean for our community?
What Is Community Solar?
Community solar provides equitable access to the benefits of solar energy for households and businesses (“subscribers”), allowing them to save money on their electricity bills while reducing GHG emissions and contributing to a more resilient grid; making renewable energy accessible to a wider community.
Press
A History of Solar in Lake County
2014-C4 partners with the BOCC, Xcel Energy and Clean Energy Collective to bring the first Community Solar Garden (CSG) to Lake County - local subscribers invest over $1 million in the project.
2015 - The Lake County CSG begins production.
2020-2022 - The Lake County CSG experiences technical issues, ceasing production in 2022.
Winter 2024 - C4 mobilizes community partners to save the Lake County CSG - thanks to C4 co-founder Cameron Millard!
May 2024 - C4 purchases the Lake County CSG from Clean Energy Collective for $1.
August 2024 - C4 secures funding from subscribers Lake County BOCC, Parkville Water & the Town of Breckenridge for repairs.
September 2024 - C4 hires local company Leadville Solar for repairs.
April 2025- completion of repairs: energy production resumes!
By the Numbers: Lake County Solar Garden
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763,470 kWh
anticipated annual energy production of the Lake County Solar Garden
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$2.6 million
projected benefits to subscribers over the remaining 15 year lifespan of the array
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96 homes
powered annually with clean energy produced by the Lake County Solar Garden
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$50,000
estimated yearly savings to Lake County government & taxpayers from the County’s 38% ownership of subscriptions
Questions? Interested in learning more?
Contact cloudcitysolar@c4leadville.org