The Florence Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a large-scale lithium-ion battery energy storage system project on June 5, 2025. The decision moves the proposal closer to reality following approval of zoning changes from residential to industrial use.
Project Details
The Lighthorse Energy Storage project will feature a 400-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capable of powering approximately 200,000 homes for an eight-hour peak load period. The facility will use lithium-ion batteries with lithium iron phosphate chemistry, as confirmed by Lewis Loomba, director of development at esVolta Development LLC.
The system consists of individual battery containers that are expected to be 8 to 10 feet tall, arranged on concrete pads and separated across the 40.93-acre site.
The project will include an on-site private substation in the northwest corner, directly across from Salt River Project’s existing substation on Judd Road, with plans to connect via underground transmission lines, minimizing infrastructure and taking advantage of the site’s proximity to the SRP substation. The site will have two gated entrances from Judd Road for emergency access.
Site Location and Surroundings
The proposed facility sits east of Attaway Road on the south side of Judd Road and west of a CAP canal, within the Dobson Farms Planned Unit Development on property owned by Dobson Pinal Investments I LLC. EsVolta has an option agreement in place to purchase the site. Attorney Jon Gillespie, representing the applicant, emphasized the site’s industrial setting: “We’re over 3,000 feet away from any existing residential.”
The site borders Judd Road and the SRP electrical substation to the north, the Central Arizona Project canal and agricultural land to the east, and active agricultural land that is part of the Dobson Farms PUD to the south and west. However, public commenter Dan Dooley noted that incoming developments in Magma Ranch would bring residential areas closer to the battery facility.
Land Use Changes For Dobson Farms Site
The commission approved two interconnected land use amendments. The minor general plan amendment changes the site designation from “Suburban Neighborhood” to “Industry District” while preserving “Open Space” along the CAP canal. Senior Planner Maricella Benitez explained this qualifies as a minor amendment because “the proposed change is only for 40.93 acres. The threshold within the general plan itself is 80 acres.”
The major PUD amendment changes the site’s designation within Dobson Farms from “Residential Low” to “Commercial-Industrial” and adds Battery Energy Storage Systems as a permitted use in that category. The amendment also establishes development standards including a 100-foot minimum setback from property lines to battery storage units.
Industrial Transition
The approvals reflect a broader shift toward industrial uses in this area. Gillespie noted that surrounding properties are also transitioning: “Florence Tech Park application that’s an industrial project that’s being proposed.” He described the area as “continuing to evolve to that industrial corridor.”
Staff noted that ongoing utility infrastructure investments by SRP and proposed transportation projects like the North-South Corridor prime this area for industrial development. The town expects to consider several major general plan amendments later this year to change additional areas from residential to industrial zoning.
Open Space Preservation Along CAP Canal
The project preserves an open space corridor along the eastern boundary adjacent to the CAP canal as a placeholder for a potential future regional trail system.
Regarding the property line location, Commissioner Leaman asked whether it extends to the center of the CAP canal. Gillespie clarified that the property line ends at the canal’s edge and does not extend into the canal: “It’s at the edge of it, so it doesn’t go to the center line.”
The eight-foot perimeter wall will provide substantial visual screening of the battery units, though some units will slightly exceed the wall height given that the battery containers are planned to be around 8 to 10 feet tall.
Fire Safety Measures
Fire safety dominated much of the discussion, with multiple experts addressing concerns. EsVolta stated they would work with Florence’s fire department on training and potentially assist with equipment if needed. Gillespie said: “If the fire department doesn’t have the equipment or the systems to address our needs, then absolutely that’s a partnership that I think is important.”
Chris Thomas, a fire protection engineer with Coffman Engineers, explained firefighting procedures for battery storage facilities: “The best place for the fire is inside the container. It contains the fire and lets it basically consume the contents. So, what the firefighters do is generally just protect the exposures, monitor the heat levels in adjacent containers.”
Thomas added that firefighters typically maintain distance during incidents and monitor the situation while using water spray to knock down smoke and fumes and cool adjacent containers.
The project includes automatic gates at access points, a 20-foot-wide drive throughout the site, an emergency responder staging area, and on-site water tanks. The site will be enclosed with an eight-foot perimeter wall. The facility will be remotely monitored full-time by esVolta for safety and security purposes.
Battery Fire Concerns
Dan Dooley, a Magma Ranch resident, raised concerns about multiple battery storage projects planned for the area. He noted three different battery energy storage systems coming to the region.
Dooley expressed particular concern about lithium-ion battery fires: “Let me tell you, if it does catch on fire, I hope the Florence Fire Department can handle it because once a lithium-ion battery catches on fire, you already know that you can hardly put those out. And that doesn’t include the toxic fumes that go into the air.”
Concerns about Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are not unique to this project. Throughout Pinal County, residents and officials have raised similar issues during hearings for other large-scale energy proposals. During the Valley Farms Energy Center hearings, Brenda Hiscox of Coolidge warned that “multiple toxins are released into our lives, on every level” during battery fires, referencing incidents where heavy metals were detected in soil and water following such fires, including one in Monterey Bay, California.
At the Table Top Solar Park hearings, Commissioner Tom Scott specifically questioned battery fire containment, again referencing the fire at a battery facility in Monterey County, California, that burned for five days in January 2025.
Similarly, during data center zoning discussions near Florence, residents voiced safety concerns regarding BESS, pointing to previous incidents involving explosions and uncontrolled fires.
These concerns continue to influence public perception and regulatory scrutiny of energy storage developments in Pinal County.
Flood Protection
The project will include retention basins sized for a 100-year, two-hour storm event, which equals approximately three inches of rainfall in the area.
Town Council Review
Both amendments now advance to the Town Council for final approval. The Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval included conditions that the PUD amendment depends on Town Council approval of the general plan amendment, and that perimeter landscaping will be required on the south and west sides if pending amendments to adjacent properties are not approved.
The Town Council hearing is scheduled for August 5, 2025. If approved, construction will most likely begin in the first quarter of 2027 and last approximately 12 months.
