Site of former Colorado coal mine converted into solar farm

A project to bring Coors' energy production into a new area is underway in Keenesburg, Colorado, as the site of a former coal mine is converted into a solar farm.

The Coors coal mine, which lies 40 miles northeast of Denver, operated from 1979 to 1987, then served as a fly ash disposal site until 2016. Since then, the land has sat unused.

Now, Molson Coors' energy is bringing energy production back to the area with a new 47-acre solar panel farm.

Company representatives shared more about the project with local officials on Wednesday.

Jim Crawford, Vice President of Golden Valley Operations at Molson Coors International, said, "For the last 150+ years of the Golden Valley history, we've been about efficiencies, about looking for opportunities for improvement and for sustainability."

Golden Valley includes the company's brewery, malting, and container plants. Crawford said the company has been working to modernize its brewery operations and reduce its energy load by 25%.

The new facility will include 16,000 solar panels and produce approximately 7 megawatts. It is expected to be brought online by the end of the year and will account for 7% of the company's electrical needs, Crawford said.