By Zoriah Cole | Pinal Central
PHOENIX — A bill in the Arizona Legislature would allocate $8 million to a fund to pay for water infrastructure on projects that create jobs in Pinal County.
Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge, introduced Senate Bill 1223, which would allow businesses that employ at least 250 people and water service corporations to apply for those funds. This water infrastructure and commerce grant funding would be awarded by the Arizona Commerce Authority for new projects located on the business’s property.
These sets of qualifications would apply to Lucid Motors, which is manufacturing electric vehicles in Casa Grande, though it could also potentially extend to other major industrial projects in the area, such as Nikola Motors in Coolidge.
“So the way that I like to describe it is the canal brings the water to Casa Grande,” Brian Murray, representing Lucid Motors, said. “You’ve got to get the water from where it stops to the actual facility. We’re down a long road right? It’s just like, if you were going to hang electrical lines, you would have different tenants along the way, pulling the line off, but because we’re so large and at the end of the road, we need help getting the water.
