The Board of Supervisors at the Pima County has collectively voted and approved the building of a 25 MW solar power plant in Avra Valley.
The solar facility to be constructed, owned and managed by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures, (FRV) will become the largest single source solar power for Tucson Electric Power (TEP).
The solar power plant will come over 305 acres of area, previously used as farmland located at the northwest corner of Emigh and Sanders Roads. FRV systems has entered into a 20 year power purchase agreement with TEP, a subsidiary of UniSource Energy, to sell the power generated from the facility. The power is enough to meet the power requirements of around 4,500 households. The construction of the solar installation is anticipated to commence this fall and is expected to be finished by April 2012.
FRV Solar facility will generate around $4.5 million as property tax revenues for Pima County during the life period of the system. The facility will also allow Tucson Water, the owner of the site, to earn notable lease revenue during the period. During the construction period, the facility will provide around 250 to 300 short-term local employment opportunities and between 6 to 8 permanent job positions after the completion of installations. Pima County will receive around $400,000 in the form of sales tax revenue.
Source: http://tep.com/