A committee with the Arizona Corporation Commission is holding a hearing this week to consider SRP’s proposed Marigold power plant near Stanfield in Pinal County.
SRP customers and nearby residents raised concerns about the project during a public comment session Monday night.
The plant is set to have natural gas generators alongside solar panels and battery storage units.
SRP’s application says the gas plant will fall under regulatory air quality regulations, but the Sierra Club told the Commission that the application doesn’t provide sufficient data to back that claim.
Some SRP customers raised concerns that the natural gas component would worsen air quality in an area that already fails to meet federal air quality standards.
“Living close to a gas plant increases the exposure to harmful pollutants that contribute to chronic illnesses like heart disease, cancers, lung diseases, etc. It also contributes to climate change and its prices are unstable and rising," Ana Gorla said.
SRP claims the plant won’t impact groundwater use because it will use long-term storage credits.
Azucena Herrera Gonzalez asked the Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee to look at the effects of multiple industrial projects proposed for the area, including a different power plant and a data center.
“We're asking for an independent assessment that considers these developments together when evaluating groundwater, noise, heat, air quality," Gonzalez said.
The committee’s hearing is set to end Friday.
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