Pinal Today

Electrical District No. 3 has began a partnership with Southwest Public Power Agency (SPAA) and its members on a 300-megawatt solar project that would supply 21 of SPPA’s members, including those in District 3, with renewable energy.

In the new Box Canyon Project, BrightNight will partner with Cordelio Power, with BrightNight serving as lead developer of the program. The group will participate in a long-term power-purchase agreement with SPAA, with ED3 serving as an "off-taker" of the project.

“The Box Canyon project... will help us meet the long-term needs of our growing customer base,” ED3 General Manager Brian Yerges said in a story by InMaricopa. “Based on current growth trends, the Box Canyon project will supply approximately 20% of ED3’s power in 2025-2026.”

As part of the agreement, District 3 will receive 63.4 megawatts of solar power, the story stated. The project will connect to the electrical grid at the Abel Substation via a transmission tie line and serve local utilities in the area. The site of the project is on about 2,300 acres of unincorporated, state-owned land north of Florence, west of State Route 79.

A change in land-use designation was approved by the Pinal County Board of Supervisors to make the green-power solar facility possible, the story stated.

“SPPA is proud to supply its members with safe, reliable and affordable electricity from an industry-leading renewable power project,” said SPPA Project Manager Dennis Delaney. “BrightNight was able to understand our long-term goals and propose a solution to meet the needs of our members and their customers, while remaining cost-effective.”