SAN MANUEL, AZ — The Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on April 16, 2026, to consider approving the Ore Town Solar Project — a proposed utility-scale solar photovoltaic and battery storage facility, each up to 145 megawatts, east of San Manuel. Residents may attend, submit written comments, and weigh in before a recommendation advances to the Board of Supervisors.
Ore Town Solar Project Overview
The project would include a 145-MW solar photovoltaic array and a 145-MW battery energy storage system (BESS). The applicant estimates the facility would generate enough electricity to power approximately 35,000 Arizona homes.
The facility would sit on approximately 1,227 acres of reclaimed mining land that operated from the 1950s through the early 2000s. That land is part of the historic, now-decommissioned San Manuel Copper Mine site complex. The project would connect to the existing San Manuel Substation via a generation tie line less than one mile long.
The applicant projects up to $70 million in state and local tax revenue over the project’s 35-year operational life. That funding would benefit the Mammoth San Manuel Unified School District and San Manuel Fire District. During peak construction, the traffic study estimates up to 325 workers on-site daily, based on figures provided by the developer. The applicant states local hires would be prioritized. The applicant’s public materials project up to five permanent positions after construction.
About the Project Site
The site occupies land that BHP Copper Inc. owns within the former copper mining complex. County planning staff note that the location avoids converting undisturbed desert. Instead, it reuses a former industrial area already designated for green energy production in the County’s Comprehensive Plan.
The project would generate no emissions or odors, produce minimal noise, use small amounts of water, and generate little to no daily traffic during operation.
At the end of its operational life, the applicant commits to decommissioning the facility and returning the land to its current state. County stipulations require that restoration be completed to the extent feasible. The applicant must submit a decommissioning plan — covering removal of all equipment, land restoration, cost estimates, and financial assurance — before site plan approval and construction permits can be issued.
What the Commission Will Vote On
The commission will consider two separate but linked applications. The first is Case PZ-033-25, a request to rezone the 1,227-acre site from General Rural (GR) to Industrial (I-3). The second is Case PZ-PD-022-25, a request for a Planned Area Development (PAD) Overlay District. The PAD would restrict the site to the Ore Town Solar Project and its associated infrastructure, including the substation, generation tie line, access roads, and fencing, rather than allowing the full range of industrial uses.
Approval of the PAD is contingent on approval of the rezone.
The applicant is 310SM 8me, LLC, a subsidiary of Avantus. Stephen Anderson of Gammage & Burnham, PLC, represents the applicant. The landowner is BHP Copper Inc.
Community Comments and Agency Input
The project team held two neighborhood meetings, one in May 2025 and one in September 2025, at the San Manuel Community Center. At the May meeting, 35 individuals signed in, with approximately 50 attendees overall. Seventeen attendees signed in at the September meeting. The staff report notes nine letters of support and no opposition letters received as of that date.
Community members who submitted comments cited productive reuse of former mine land, solar energy benefits, and economic opportunity, including tax dollars returning to the community. Some requested information about local hiring during construction. Others raised concerns about BESS fire safety, visual change, noise, stormwater quality from the former mine site, emergency evacuation access, and long-term decommissioning. At least one resident submitted an email opposing the project, citing concerns about landscape, habitat, fire safety, and emergency evacuation.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department submitted written comments recommending wildlife-compatible fencing, pre-construction surveys for Sonoran desert tortoise, avian monitoring, and open unfenced wildlife movement corridors, including a minimum 1,300-foot corridor width along the two southern ephemeral washes within the project area.
How Residents Can Participate Before and During the Hearing
The public hearing begins at 9:00 a.m. on April 16, 2026. It will take place at the Pinal County Emergency Operations Center, 301 E. 11th Street, Florence, Arizona.
Residents who wish to participate may attend in person. Written comments are accepted on an ongoing basis, but those intended to be included in the case packet forwarded to the commission should be submitted to staff in advance. Written statements should include the case number (PZ-033-25 or PZ-PD-022-25), the commenter’s name, address, and phone number. They should also state whether the commenter supports or opposes the request, and whether they plan to appear at the hearing. Statements can be submitted to case coordinator Valentyn Panchenko, Senior Planner, at [email protected].
After the Planning and Zoning Commission makes its recommendation, the case will move to the Pinal County Board of Supervisors for a final decision. No date for that hearing has been announced.
