Solar project completed to replace dam west of Loveland

LOVELAND — The city of Loveland said Tuesday it has completed a 3.5-megawatt solar project, built to replace the Idylewilde Dam, which was damaged in the 2013 Colorado Front Range Flood.

The solar project is the first electric-generating facility in the United States to receive approval through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Alternate Project process.

In 2015, Loveland was awarded approximately $9 million in funding to construct the Foothills Solar and Substation project, with $5.1 million used to construct the solar array. The remaining funds are being used to construct an electric substation on the site,…