A solar-energy farm is taking shape next to the Apache Generating Station near Willcox that will provide 20 megawatts of clean power to rural electric cooperatives across the state when it goes online in September.
About 4,000 photovoltaic panels are going up each workday at a project by Benson-based Arizona G&T Cooperatives, which is building the solar plant to supply member co-ops including Trico Electric, which serves parts of rural Pima, Pinal and Santa Cruz counties.
Other participating co-ops are Sulphur Springs Valley Electric, Graham County, Duncan Valley and Mohave, as well as Anza in California and Pinal County’s Electric District 2.
The solar farm — which will consist of more than 77,000 individual solar panels — will be operated by Sierra Southwest Cooperative Services, part of Arizona G&T Cooperatives.
Sulphur Springs, which serves parts of Cochise, Graham, Pima and Santa Cruz counties, including Sierra Vista and Willcox, also is buying power from a separate 20MW photovoltaic project west of the Apache power plant, completed by solar supplier SunPower last December.
A 20MW solar array in Arizona would generate enough power to supply about 3,000 homes in Arizona, according to federal estimates.
The electric co-ops are adding solar and other renewables to meet a state mandate that that state-regulated power companies get 15 percent of the total power sold from renewable resources by 2025.
