SRP is planning what it calls an “energy center” about an hour south of Phoenix that would use a mix of solar, battery power and natural gas.
The project is one example of how utilities are trying to address an unprecedented demand for power, driven largely by data centers and large users.
SRP says it expects the Marigold Energy Center near Stanfield to harness 600 megawatts of solar power through the day, which would also charge the lithium ion batteries batteries with a capacity of 400 megawatts and could provide power for eight hours.
The natural gas component would ramp up to 675 megawatts during peak hours — like in the late afternoon and evening.
As Arizona’s utilities say they need to double their grid output in the coming years, they are tapping any resource they can get, whether it's renewable or fossil fuel.
SRP’s director of resource planning Bill McClellan says this site is part of that “all of the above approach.”
“We have to be able to maintain reliability at the same time that we're moving towards, you know, more carbon-free energy," McClellan said.
The other reason behind the approach is that the site is near natural gas infrastructure already.
"We've got the land that's available for the solar portion of the project, there's existing infrastructure and a 500 kV transmission line that SRP is able to utilize to interconnect into. And then it's also near existing natural gas pipelines owned by both El Paso and Transwestern. So really an ideal location to be able to host a lot of different types of generating resources in this one area," McClellan said.
SRP still needs to secure some regulatory approvals for the energy center. The utility is hosting open houses next week seeking public input.
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Strong winds struck the West Valley overnight, leaving more than 5,000 people still without power on Monday morning. -
Mayes first filed a lawsuit against the park last year. She said management didn’t tell residents about a faulty electrical system, which led to frequent power outages during dangerous summer heat. -
Tonto National Forest will be closing Canyon Lake later next month so the Bureau of Reclamation and SRP can conduct dam safety inspections and maintenance. -
Coal-fired power generation jumped 13% in the U.S. last year, according to a recent report from the federal Energy Information Administration. That helped push carbon emissions from the power sector up about 4% — the first rise after years of declining emissions. -
Residents were unanimous in their call for a ban on data centers, but city staff say that would likely be prohibited under state law.
