By Roland Murphy for AZBEX
While some jurisdictions are racing to curtail data center development, it appears to be a booming sector for upcoming planning in Pinal County.
During the same July 17 work session that saw discussion of the Vermaland La Osa Employment Center master plan, which has the potential to become the largest data center site in the state, the Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission also reviewed a plan from IDM Companies for a data center development on 215 acres at Selma Highway and Midway Road near Casa Grande.
IDM is requesting a major Comprehensive Plan amendment from Moderate Low Density Residential to Employment to create a data center campus with flexibility for other associated industrial uses.
The Project Midway property is situated in a largely undeveloped rural area. According to the narrative, there is an emerging industrial land use pattern to the south and along Interstate 8. “…the Applicant envisions development of the Property as a low intensity, premier data center campus that will activate the site with new, high-quality development,” according to the narrative.
The narrative also says, “The proposed use is consistent with the Phase II growth plans of the Casa Grande General Plan, which anticipates rapid growth of industrial and manufacturing uses between Gila Bend Highway and I-8. The proposed development is also consistent with the land use pattern immediately south of the Property, which, as described above and below, includes Project Bella, a planned battery storage and natural gas power generation facility.”
Both entrances to the site will be off Midway Road. The primary entrance will be on the southern side.
The property is within the Casa Grande planning area and is featured under the City’s future growth considerations.
During the Commission review, members discussed the significant infrastructure requirements associated with data center development and operations, as well as the accelerating pace of development along the I-8 corridor.
In the interest of being a conscientious neighbor, Commissioners and staff discussed the outreach made to the City of Casa Grande. Staff reported Casa Grande had been contacted as part of the regular outreach process, and any comments from the City were expected before Aug. 9.
IDM Companies is the developer. The civil engineer is Colliers Engineering & Design. The project is represented by Withey Morris Baugh PLC.
Project Bella
Both the Project Midway submission and the work study discussion made prominent mention of Project Bella, a 480 megawatt natural gas and battery energy storage system development on roughly 352 acres immediately south of the Midway site.
In the Midway narrative, Withey Morris Baugh said Project Bella presented “synergistic opportunities” that made the Midway location ideal for its intended data center use, adding, “This proposal would provide a framework for the efficient use of existing infrastructure, which includes existing 500kV and 230kV transmission lines in the immediate vicinity.”
According to the Bella narrative, “The purpose of Project Bella is to provide resource adequacy capacity via quick response battery deployment and short interval natural gas fired dispatchable turbines to first maximize renewable energy available on the grid, prior to deployment. Furthermore, the batteries will be charged from excess energy on the grid during periods of high renewable (solar and wind) generation periods. The Project will also be a key contributor numerous sustainability goals including reduced water consumption in electricity generation and decarbonization of the grid by providing essential resource adequacy capacity and reliability, thus enabling acceleration of the retirement of coal-fired power generation assets.”
Project materials show the Pinal County Board of Supervisors approved a Comprehensive Plan amendment last October to General Public Facilities/Services to enable the project’s development. On July 7, Planning and Zoning recommended approval of a request to rezone the property from general services to Industrial with a planned area development overlay.
Seguro Energy Partners is the owner. The landscape designer is ABLA. Colliers Engineering & Design is the civil engineer, and Withey Morris Baugh is the project representative.
