A new company called Chevron Energy Solutions wants to partner with Grand County to begin an effort to bring solar power to Canyonlands Field, the county airport. Chevron Energy Solutions received unanimous support from the Grand County Council during its last meeting this year to start the process.

The effort will begin with a “free” preliminary assessment of the possibilities, according to a company representative.

The overall cost of installing solar panels at the airport remains unclear, but Lisa Romney, business development manager for Chevron ES said, “Due to the low cost of power in Utah, Chevron ES may also need to partner with the airport to obtain additional state, federal, and/or utility funding.”

The company is looking for “excited business partners,” Romney said. Whether or not the unanimous support of the council is enough to induce the company to invest in a preliminary assessment remains to be seen and Romney made no promises.

Romney told council members that the total cost depends on the scope of the project that the partners, including the county and Rocky Mountain Power, come up with, she said.

She said that a facility to generate 1 megawatt of power is the size “that would get Rocky Mountain Power excited.” She then noted that Fresno, Calif. did a 2-megawatt project for $16 million.

“Geographically you’re ideal,” Romney said as she touted the desert sun and potential ways for the project to help pay for itself. Federal stimulus funds may also be available, she said.

But given the low cost of power in Utah, Romney said the community should depend on “unknown values” in addition to subsidies and energy savings to help justify the expense.

Her list of unknown values included independence and security, whether the project improves the environment and Moab, and national and international tourism marketing.

Installation of solar panels could be done so that they also provide covered parking for aircraft and for automobiles is a way not only to produce power, but also produce income from rental fees, Romney said. The panels could also be placed on hangar roofs, but that would not generate rental fees.

Canyonlands Field Airport Manager Kelly Braun said that a new large, 200-foot by 60-foot hangar is in the works, as is a parking garage for automobiles. The council did not discuss how those developments might affect the market for covered parking.

Following the preliminary assessment, the next phase of the process is for Chevron ES to develop an “investment grade solar assessment agreement” that details the scope and the cost of the project, and how it will be paid for. Chevron ES would then engineer, design and construct the project, according to Romney.

Economic benefits to the community from construction of a 1-megawatt system amount to $1 million, Romney said. That estimate includes the creation of 10 jobs that would generate $300,000 dollars in direct income. By the time that income gets circulated through the economy it will mean another 38 jobs, according to Romney’s analysis.

It was unclear how long those jobs would last, or if any permanent jobs would result.

“Our airport is a critical gateway to the community,” said county council chairman Bob Greenberg, as he touted other changes and improvements that have been made at the airport in recent years. “The project offers the hope of another giant step forward.”