The Arizona Business Commission (ACC) has announced the environmental compatibility of the Coolidge Expansion Project, a flexible, fast-running natural gas plant to help ensure the Salt River Project (SRP) is cost-effectively responsive to regional growth. Approved certificate (CEC) modification. Reduce the energy required for utilities to add solar, wind and storage resources.

The modified CEC was made possible in part by the recent settlement between the SRP and the Randolph parties. In this settlement, the SRP agreed to provide additional mitigation efforts and additional financial support to support the Randolph community.

“We thank the Randolph community for the opportunity to hear and address their concerns regarding the Coolidge expansion project,” said Bobby Olsen, SRP Associate General Manager and Supreme Planning, Strategy and Sustainability Executive. “SRP looks forward to working with the community to deliver on the promises made thus far.”

With today’s decision, SRP will implement the following mitigation and support measures once construction begins on the Coolidge Expansion Project:

• The SRP will reduce the number of generating units for expansion from 16 to 12, relocate new units slightly to make them less visible to the community, and limit operational use of new Coolidge power station units to 30% of capacity. will agree to do so. element.
• SRP will provide significant funding for the construction and operation of the Randolph Community Center.
• The SRP provides significant funding for community assistance in the form of mentoring programs from kindergarten through high school and for the preparation and implementation of community development plans.
• The SRP will add additional air pollution control measures, including further road paving to offset dust within the region. SRP will provide significant funding for the design and construction of community markers.
• The SRP provides significant funding for the Randolph family’s educational and recreational activities.
• SRP doubles funding for scholarship and job training programs for Randolph residents and their descendants.
• SRP provides significant funding for a housing rehabilitation program to upgrade Randolph’s home.

As part of its earlier proceedings, the SRP agreed to a number of mitigation efforts against Randolph, whether or not a CEC was granted, including:

• Scholarship program of up to $100,000 annually ($2 million over 20 years) for Randolph residents and their descendants.
• A job training program of up to $100,000 per year ($2 million total over 20 years) for Randolph Residents and their descendants.
• Funds the preparation of nominations for the National Register of Historic Places.
• Ask a grant-making company to help you access federal and state grants. The company provides training and prepares for grant applications.
• Visual screening and community landscaping.
• Road paving to reduce dust in the area.

SRP has worked with the Randolph community and Pinal County on these early efforts.

“To meet the dramatic load growth in Arizona, SRP must continue to provide reliable power to our customers now and in the future. Meeting this mandate requires flexible, high-speed generation. It’s essential,” Olsen said. “The Coolidge Expansion Project supports that reliability mission and will allow us to utilize additional solar, wind and other renewable energy as part of our system.”

The 575-megawatt Coolidge Expansion Project will provide enough energy to power more than 139,000 homes at once, supporting the integration of solar, wind and storage resources. As with all SRP power generation facilities, we comply with all local, state and federal air quality regulations that protect human health and the environment.

SRP’s customers are already benefiting from the recently commissioned new solar and battery resources. This is part of an effort to add 2,025 megawatts of solar and wind power and 1,100 megawatts of batteries, enough to power about 500,000 homes by 2025. ing. Energy costs are among the lowest in the West. With the addition of these and other strategic resources, by 2035 more than 75% of his energy supplied to his SRP customers will come from carbon-free sources.