PHOENIX - The Arizona Corporation Commission is now accepting public comments on the Hualapai Valley Solar project.
The 340-megawatt solar facility would be located 27 miles north of Kingman on 4,000 acres of private land near Red Lake. The county Planning and Zoning Commission approved zoning for the project in October, as did the County Board of Supervisors in November.
In order to fill out a public comment form for the project, visit www.cc.state.az.us, click on the "Forms and filings" tab along the left side of the screen and then on the "hearing/docket control" tab.
The form can be e-mailed to mailmaster@azcc.gov, printed and faxed to the ACC's Utilities Division at (602) 542-2129 or mailed to Arizona Corporation Commission, Attention Utilities Division, 1200 Washington St., Phoenix, AZ, 85007-2972.
Make sure to include the docket number, 09-0541-00151, and the project name, "Hualapai Valley Solar."
Some residents have raised questions and concerns about the amount of water the project will use and the impact it might have on groundwater and wildlife in the area.
HVS has stated it has plans and is negotiating with the city of Kingman to purchase reclaimed wastewater from the city's Hilltop Wastewater Treatment Plant. The city is in the process of upgrading the plant and is working on a policy that would allow the sale of the water.
The company filed an application with the ACC's Line Siting Committee on Nov. 23.
The committee will hold public hearings on the project from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Hampton Inn, 1791 Sycamore Ave. According to the ACC docket, the hearings will continue on Jan. 13 and 14 if necessary.
Public comments on the project will also be accepted at 6 p.m. on Jan. 12 at the Hampton Inn.
The LSC has 180 days from Nov. 23 to issue a recommendation to the ACC. The ACC will then have 60 days to decide on whether to grant the certificate.
HVS is one of two major concentrated solar projects proposed for Mohave County. The other, a 200-megawatt facility proposed by Albiasa, is slated to be built near the Silverado master-planned community south and east of Kingman between Wikieup and the intersection with Interstate 40 on U.S. 93.
For more information on the project, visit www.hualapaivalleysolar.com
For more information on the LSC meetings, visit www.azcc.gov/AZ_Power_Plant/LineSiting-Calendar.asp or call (800) 222-7000.
Posted: Saturday, December 26, 2009
Article comment by:
Icarus
@DVS: Speaking of throwing water away, what happened when you contacted all the golf courses about their water useage? Are you getting a petition together to shut them down, seeing as water is precious and all?
Posted: Thursday, December 24, 2009
Article comment by:
DVS
The approval of this water cooled solar project was wrong. It should have never gotten that far. There is much more efficient ways to deal with making electricity. The WATER cooled system is not GREEN. However, the WIND generator system and the DRY cooled solar system is totally GREEN. I might also add this is a DESERT. I also might add, we are in a DROUGHT. Water is very precious. We should not be throwing it away for any reason.
