Box Canyon Solar Farm

(Cases #PZ-PD-003-22 and #PZ-004-22)

Project Overview

BrightNight and Cordelio Power are excited to bring to Pinal County a state-of-the-art project that combines clean renewable solar energy generation with advanced battery storage technology to harness the power of the sun … even after it sets.

The proposed solar site is 2,087 acres of unincorporated state land located on the west side of Hwy 79 just north of Arizona Farms Road.

Pinal County Board of Supervisors recently approved an amendment to the County’s Comprehensive Plan that changed the land use designation on this site to “Green Energy Production” to allow the proposed solar facility operation. The Applicant is currently processing a zoning amendment to change the zoning district from General Rural (GR) to Industrial 3 with a Planned Area Development (PAD) overlay. The PAD overlay will restrict the use on the property to only allow the solar facility. Any other use will need to go back through the public hearing process.

This project will develop a photovoltaic (PV) solar energy farm with battery energy storage that will connect into the local electrical grid at SRP’s Abel Substation via transmission lines. This site is expected to generate enough local clean energy to power approximately 55,000 homes each year, and to provide low cost, clean energy to electricity users in this region. During construction, the project is estimated to bring approximately 250 new jobs to Pinal County and approximately $20 million in local tax revenue. An additional benefit of the project is the contribution of up to an estimated $60 million in funding to Arizona’s K-12 public schools through annual lease payments for the use of state land for the project. Box Canyon intends to be operational as early as 2023.

Developer: BrightNight and Cordelio Power

Estimated Jobs Created: up to 250 (with construction)

Community Benefits

  • Estimated construction jobs created: up to 250
  • Reduction in vehicular traffic: once operational, the solar farm is forecast to generate less than one-tenth of one percent of the daily traffic compared to uses allowed under the current comprehensive plan designation
  • Local property tax revenue: estimated at $20 million for Pinal County
  • Funding for K-12 education: up to $60 million in estimated lease payments to ASLD to benefit the state’s K-12 education trust and public schools
  • Community leadership: continues the tradition of Pinal County’s leadership in the clean energy industry
  • Energy independence: expected reduction use of and dependence on fossil fuels
  • Clean air: new zero-emissions energy source
  • A quiet neighbor – once operational, the solar farm’s limited maintenance requirements are expected to make it a non-intrusive community resident
  • Water use: once operational, the project is forecast to require extremely low water usage

About BrightNight and Cordelio Power

BrightNight and Cordelio Power, the project sponsors, have a long track record of efficiently financing renewable power projects to allow us to provide lowest cost energy to our customers.

BrightNight is the lead developer of the project. BrightNight’s CEO and Founding Member and majority investor is Martin Hermann. In 2009, he founded the solar development company 8minutenergy (8minute), which developed the 600 MW Mount Signal Solar Project in Imperial Valley, California; the 400 MW Eland Energy Center in Las Vegas, Nevada; and the 300 MW Southern Bighorn Project in Clark County, Nevada.  The broader team at BrightNight brings an additional 10,000 MW of execution experience across over 100 projects in operation today, in the US and globally. 

Cordelio Power provides the financing and asset management for the project. Cordelio manages a 1,000+ MW operating renewable power generation portfolio with assets across North America and a growth pipeline of over 4,500 MW of wind, solar and energy storage projects in the western and midwestern U.S., including 3,000 MW of growth assets owned jointly with BrightNight.

Upcoming Public Hearings

All hearings are held in the Board of Supervisors Room in the historic Courthouse building located at 135 N. Pinal Street, Florence AZ.

Planning & Zoning Commission Hearing
April 21, 2022
9:00 AM

Board of Supervisors Hearing – TBD

Attachments:

Questions??

If there are any questions, concerns or comments please contact our Community Outreach Representative:

Jennifer Hall
Senior Project Manager – Land Development Team
Rose Law Group pc
480-505-3938 direct
602-369-0810 cell
jhall@roselawgroup.com

Additionally, you may contact the Pinal County Planning staff assigned to this case, Gilbert Olgin at 520-866-6442 or via email at gilbert.olgin@pinal.gov. You may provide public comment over the phone or in writing by referencing Cases #PZ-PD-003-22 and #PZ-004-22.

All public comment will be made part of the case file.

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