Sonoran Solar Energy Project

Project Summary

Sonoran Solar Energy, LLC, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, proposes to construct, own, and operate a solar power plant and battery electrical storage system, and the associated facilities necessary to operate the facility and connect it to the Arizona transmission grid. The Sonoran Solar Energy Project is a proposed 250 megawatt (MW) photovoltaic solar power plant with 250 MW of energy storage, and ancillary features such as an access road, transmission line, water pipeline, and well field, located on Bureau of Land Management (BLM), State, and private land. The Project would be located in the Little Rainbow Valley, east of State Route 85 and south of the Buckeye Hills and the Town of Buckeye in Maricopa County, Arizona.

Project Update

The SSEP was originally proposed as a 375-MW dry-cooled Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) energy generation plant located on 3,620 acres of BLM-managed lands in Maricopa County, Arizona. In the ensuing years, proposed project designs were updated as Federal, State, and local regulatory permits and approvals were sought, including completion of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and Record of Decision (ROD) in 2011 and BLM right-of-way (ROW) grants issued in 2012. On November 29, 2018, Sonoran Solar, LLC received an extension for construction start under the ROW grant which is valid through October 8, 2020.

Current SSEP design plans include a solar field acreage change to approximately 2,800 total acres, which along with other changes to the project components such as the addition of a battery electrical storage system, necessitate the need for a BLM right-of-way grant amendment, which Sonoran Solar Energy, LLC is currently coordinating with the BLM.

Project Benefits

  • Employment and business opportunities

  • Local and state tax revenues

  • Increased availability of renewable energy

Site Selection Factors

Sonoran Solar, LLC completed an extensive site evaluation prior to choosing this location for the Sonoran Solar Energy Project. This evaluation ensured that the site would be suitable for the development of a solar plant. Some of the factors in the evaluation included:

  • Solar Resource – high solar insolation to ensure that the Project will generate the highest amount of energy using the least amount of land possible

  • Size and Shape – large enough to accommodate construction of the Project and shape that would allow an efficient layout of the plant

  • Slope – relatively flat to minimize ground disturbance required for grading

  • Infrastructure – near existing transmission and transportation facilities

  • Environmental Considerations – to avoid or minimize impacts to sensitive resources

 

Document Links

Project Contact

Wardah Abbasi
Sonoran Solar, LLC
561-691-7843
Wardah.abbasi@nexteraenergy.com