Arizona Corporation Commission Approves Certificate of Environmental Compatibility

On December 23, 2009, the Arizona Corporation Commission voted unanimously to approve the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility (CEC) for the Starwood Solar I project. The CEC would authorize the construction of the 290 megawatt solar generating facility and two 500 kilovolt transmission lines. One transmission line would connect the Starwood project with the Harquahala Substation, approximately 1 mile south of the site. The other transmission line would connect the Starwood facility with the approved Delany Substation, about 4 miles east of the project site. Click here to view the Approved CEC Document.

Click here to view a map of the project site and transmission line corridor that was approved as part of the CEC application.

Project Overview

Starwood Energy is planning to construct and operate a solar generating facility, the Starwood Solar I Project, on approximately 1,900 acres in the Harquahala Valley in an unincorporated area of Maricopa County, approximately 75 miles west of Phoenix, Arizona. The 290 megawatt facility will include about 3,500 rows of solar reflectors, steam turbine generators, evaporation ponds, cooling towers, a thermal energy storage system that will use molten salt, and a transmission line. The transmission line is proposed to connect with the approved Delany substation, which is approximately four miles east of the project site. Starwood will build the plant in phases to better meet the regional energy needs.

The project site is located just north of the existing Harquahala Generating Facility on agricultural land, as shown on the map.

Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2012, with the project operational in 2014.

Studies and Permits

The Certificate of Environmental Compatibility (CEC), approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission in December 2009, documented environmental studies describing the project area and potential effects of the project on natural and cultural resources, as well as land uses (existing and planned). Maricopa County also approved a Comprehensive Plan Amendment for the project in December 2009. Other required approvals include a Special Use Permit (from Maricopa County Planning and Zoning), air permit (from Maricopa County Air Quality Department), and aquifer protection permit (from Arizona Department of Environmental Quality), among others.