Solar farm near Eloy narrowly approved
Cactus Flower Solar’s 2,137-acre solar field and battery storage system 7 miles south of Eloy was narrowly approved Wednesday, Dec. 3, by the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.
The board granted both industrial zoning and a Planned Area Development overlay district on the land by votes of 3-2. Casting the “no” votes each time were Jeff Serdy, R-Apache Junction, and Rich Vitiello, R-Maricopa.
“If you keep approving things like this, then there’s not going to be a rush to develop better technology like nuclear,” Serdy said. “Soon we’ll be just covered with solar.”
The approvals were contrary to the Planning and Zoning Commission’s 6-3 votes against the project. Commissioners raised questions about how Pinal should balance renewable energy and projected population growth, agricultural preservation and long-term economic competitiveness in key corridors, according to county staff.
The property is farm land in the Friendly Corners area, north of Curtis Road and east of Eleven Mile Corner Road.
Attorney Peter Furlow told the board the closest home is more than a mile away, and landowners closest to the project support it. It is forecast to pay $52 million in county taxes over the life of the project, including $17 million to the Eloy Elementary School District and $8.8 million to Santa Cruz Valley Union High School.
In the public hearing, former Eloy Mayor Micah Powell said the project is in a good location and will be a tremendous help to schools.
Ylenia Aguilar, a senior organizer with the Sierra Club, said the project will bring hundreds of construction jobs, reliable power and development that protects land and water. “For a county that deeply values water stewardship, this project is a smart land use decision,” she said. In all, six people spoke at the public hearing, all in favor.
Vitiello asked who will buy the power. Furlow said Cactus Flower must still complete an agreement with Arizona Public Service Co., which has the closest substation. The project is expected to generate enough energy to power up to 52,000 homes annually.
Pinal County is probably using more than its fair share of available power per capita, board Chairman Steve Miller, R-Casa Grande, said. “If you look at all the industry we have — everything from a cotton gin, to manufacturing and the number of people — we use a lot of electricity in this county.”
Cactus Flower will submit a “decommissioning plan” to remove the equipment and facilities and restore the land after the project becomes obsolete or inoperable, according to stipulations for the PAD.