Shortly after announcing three new solar power plants in Arizona, we are pleased to reveal that we will soon begin development on our largest stand-alone solar power plant. Located northwest of Flagstaff, Arizona, CO Bar Solar is scheduled to begin operating in 2024. The new plant will deliver a total of 400 megawatts (MW) of clean energy to SRP customers.
Clēnera, a developer of large-scale solar and storage projects and a subsidiary of Enlight Renewable Energy LTD, will construct and operate CO Bar Solar.
This development is one of many renewable energy projects that support our long-term goals to cut carbon emissions. It will also help us meet our expanded commitment to add 2,025 MW of new large-scale solar to the grid by 2025.
“The CO Bar power plant is an incredible clean energy resource that will support SRP customers and help us take a significant step toward our decarbonization goals.”
Partnering for the grid of the future
Once complete, CO Bar Solar will generate enough power to meet the needs of 80,000 homes while offsetting 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
“SRP is pleased to partner with Clēnera to add this substantial solar resource as part of our ‘all of the above’ strategy to meet near-term power generation needs,” said Mike Hummel, CEO and General Manager of SRP. “The CO Bar power plant is an incredible clean energy resource that will support SRP customers and help us take a significant step towards our decarbonization goals.”
With construction set to begin in 2023, CO Bar Solar will occupy up to 2,400 acres of private land in Coconino County. Over the course of the 18-month construction timeline, it is expected that approximately 550 primarily local construction jobs will be created.
Learn about another new addition to the grid, the Bolster Substation Battery System, an essential component to powering the grid with renewable energy.
Powering the grid with clean energy
Clēnera’s Vice President of Business Development, Jared Mckee, said of the partnership: “We are excited to be working with SRP to develop one of the largest solar projects in Arizona. Clēnera has historically paved the way for renewable energy in the state, and CO Bar Solar is yet another example of progress being made in Arizona’s clean energy sector. We thank SRP for their partnership to make this opportunity possible.”
With the rapid addition of solar projects, SRP expects that nearly 50% of the energy delivered to its customers will come from carbon-free resources by 2025.
You can learn more about how we’re working hard today to ensure reliable power and water supplies for generations to come.
