The Pinal County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a major comprehensive plan amendment, marking a key milestone for the proposed Cactus Flower Solar project which has an estimated value of $496,710,900 according to Dodge Data Analytics. The amendment re-designates 2,148.94 acres from residential to Green Energy Production, advancing plans for a 270-megawatt solar generation facility with 270 megawatts of battery energy storage. The project site is located approximately eight miles south of Eloy and seven miles south of Interstate 10.
The economic benefits include an estimated 400 construction jobs and additional permanent positions. Early tax estimates indicate potential lifetime revenue of over $55 million for the county. The project would be capable of powering approximately 52,000 homes annually.
The facility will connect to APS’ electrical grid through a new 13-mile generation tie transmission line linking to the Tat Momoli-Saguaro 230 kV transmission line. APS currently serves multiple communities in the region, including Eloy, Coolidge, Florence, and portions of unincorporated Pinal County.
The project site directly abuts the Eloy Solar project to the east, which received approval in 2021. The location was chosen to be away from current and proposed housing, employment hubs, parks, and recreational trails.
During the Board of Supervisors meeting, landowner Michael Toone spoke in support of the project, noting that farmers can currently only utilize about 50% of the land due to reduced water rights. “It will be many many years before anything in this area would be developed as far as residential or commercial use,” Toone said, “this is clearly the best use of that property.” The project received strong community support throughout the approval process, with unanimous approvals from both the Citizen Advisory Committee (15-0) and Planning Commission (7-0). At a neighborhood meeting, only one person attended and expressed support for the project.
The solar facility will utilize bifacial solar panels mounted on single-axis tracking systems to optimize solar generation. The battery energy storage system (BESS) will be collocated with the solar array, allowing energy to be stored and dispatched as needed. The facility will include centralized inverters located strategically throughout the array to convert energy from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC), with energy conveyed to the substation via medium voltage cables. An Operations & Maintenance (O&M) building will be located on-site for maintenance and monitoring.
Following this comprehensive plan amendment approval, Cypress Creek Renewables plans to subsequently apply for a zoning change and pursue additional approvals before beginning construction. The project has an expected 40-year asset life.
