A new solar power and battery energy storage system proposed in Mobile is making progress.
The City of Goodyear annexed 67 square miles of desert land in 2007, anticipating developments that were derailed by the onset of the Great Recession in 2008. That annexation included the community of Mobile.
Now, developer EDF Renewables is proposing a solar farm and BESS project approximately four miles south of State Route 238, which runs through Mobile. The company has asked Goodyear to annex almost 830 more acres in the area so it can develop the project under a single jurisdiction. The Arizona State Land Department owns 668 acres of the proposed annexation area.
The development would span 2,200 acres, 1,350 of which are already within the Goodyear city limits under the earlier annexation.
The Goodyear City Council recently voted to begin the annexation process. The vote allows City staff to begin conversations with the developer. Prior to annexation taking place, there would be ongoing negotiations between Goodyear and EDF Renewables, as well as public hearings and the approval and implementation of a development agreement.
Project representatives say the agreement would establish the developer’s responsibilities and contributions toward public safety, water, road improvements and other concerns in the annexation and development area.
There are no other plans in place for any development in Mobile, but Goodyear is planning to develop the 15-mile Sonoran Valley Parkway, which would create a direct route between Mobile and Goodyear.
There are no residents in the proposed EDF development area, and the planned project is deemed “low use,” meaning there would be little impact on traffic or existing area residents.
If Council ultimately denies the annexation, the project could still proceed. The developer would, however, have to secure project approvals from both Goodyear and Maricopa County, since different portions of the development site would lie in one jurisdiction or the other. (Source)
