Tuesday, March 03, 2009 at 12:52:47 PM - by Nate Lew

A group of solar energy firms are reportedly eyeing the development of a large new solar facility near Pueblo, Colorado.

This week, the Pueblo Chieftain reported that a consortium known as Helios Energy Partners recently met with local officials to discuss the possibility of a 200- to 300-megawatt solar plant that if completed, could be one of the nation's largest.

One potential customer for the power could reportedly be Xcel Energy, a leading power company with a presence in a number of western and Midwestern states. The newspaper also noted that Helios is comprised of KRS Energy, the solar panel company SolFocus, and an undisclosed financial company.

Colorado is no stranger to ambitious solar projects. A plant in the San Luis Valley area currently supplies about nine megawatts of power, which the Associated Press calls one of the nation's most productive utility-scale solar plants.

Another Colorado company, AVA Solar, made national news as well recently amid reports that it was expanding its solar panel factory in the near future to the extent that up to 2,000 new workers may be needed as it concentrates its business efforts on the manufacturing end of solar production.