Sups want different road to solar plant

Jul 3 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Hillary Davis The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.

The Yuma County Board of Supervisors made it clear that it wants the Foothills Solar Plant to come with a good road, and they have a preference as to where the fresh pavement should lead through the scrubby desert.

The supervisors approved a special use permit Monday for the 400-acre solar development on the condition that its operator, Arizona Public Service, work in good faith with its landlord -- the Arizona State Land Department -- and nearby private property owners to improve an extension to Scottsdale Drive from 40th Street to the County 13th Street alignment.

APS plans to begin building next month on leased state trust land off 40th Street, roughly between Foothills Boulevard and Fortuna Road and specifically between Scottsdale Drive and Avenue 12E. The original plan, which is how the lease was arranged, was to make an improved access point on Avenue 12E along the plant's eastern edge and closer to the electrical substation. The preference of the board and property owners, however, is for more road on Scottsdale on the project's western border.

After pressing by the supervisors, Ted Geisler from APS said he will work with the state to put the road improvements on Scottsdale Drive instead of Avenue 12E, although he couldn't assure the board's preferred outcome.

Infrastructure concerns aside, the board and residents who spoke were in favor of the plant itself.

The planned site is in creosote-dotted desert about half a mile away from the nearest house. The ground-mounted panels will be about 6 feet 4 inches tall, and there will be no on-site staffing except for occasional maintenance. APS will lease the land from the Arizona State Land Department for 35 years at a cost of $10 million.

Construction is set to begin onand expected to bring more than 175 construction jobs to the area. The first phase will come online in March 2013, and the second in December 2013. The 35-megawatt plant is expected to generate enough electricity for about 8,750 homes, and the power will be kept in the area.

The ground-mounted panels will be manufactured by Suntech at its Goodyear factory. The array will look like the one APS recently built in Hyder, about 40 miles east of town.

Hillary Davis can be reached at hdavis@yumasun.com or 539-6857. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSHillaryDavis or on Twitter at @YSHillaryDavis.