Printable VersionA proposed solar project anticipating setting up on a 10,300-acre parcel northwest of the Interstate 40/State Route 95 exchange is inching its way through environmental study hurdles and has determined that costs projections for the plant have decreased by about a billion dollars.
“The expected project cost is around $4 billion now … we are working on speeding up process to get this on line,” said Carl Flusché, manager of Needle Mountain Power. The project was initially expected to cost $5 billion, according to earlier reports.
Construction phases of the 1,200-mega watt Sterling Solar generating facility is expecting to employ 2,500-3,000 people over a 5-year period and 400-500 full-time employees thereafter, Flusché said.
Flusché said the citizens participation meeting is complete and Sterling Solar has been awarded an acceptance letter from Western Area Power Administration.
“The next step is environmental. WAPA told us we would have to do an Environmental Impact Study. Right now we are just getting going on other issues we have to deal with … I am really thrilled. I think the progression is good and things were pretty stealth,” he said.
An environmental assessment was completed in 1996 for a proposed subdivision. Flusché said the land would have to be re-assessed and re-certified by biologists prior to the process of another scoping meeting, he said.
In 1998, Mohave County supervisors approved a subdivision named Sterling for the same area. At the time, the subdivision plan consisted of 50,000 homes, 16 new schools, sheriff’s substations, firehouses, golf courses, parks, and areas set aside for commercial development. Needle Mountain Power began negotiations for the solar plant in early 2008, according to earlier reports.
Arizona Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife have recently observed the site, according to Flusché. The site is within an area deemed a level-three Desert Tortoise habitat zone by wildlife agencies.
“It is lowest level of tortoise population habitat, meaning it is sustainable but not ideal for tortoises. Everybody that we have talked to has never seen a tortoise out there … we are taking it in stride,” Flusché said.
Flusche said project managers have begun negotiations with TESSERA on a proposal to buy the suncatcher Stirling energy systems.
Arizona Department of Water Resources has awarded the project a letter stating an allowance of 8,200 acre-feet for the project.
“(The proposed project) will be using about 10 percent of that water,” Flusche said.
You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.
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