APS gets OK for next Hyder solar plant
Arizona Public Service's solar presence outside Hyder is getting bigger.
The Yuma County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved the permit needed to expand the existing APS solar power generating facility off Interstate 8, about three-quarters of a mile north of Palomas Road on Avenue 75E. The soon-to-be developed 14-megawatt Hyder II will be a companion to Hyder I, which has been online for about a year.
Construction on Hyder II is scheduled to begin in April and the plant should be online by December 2013. The 230-acre parcel is fallow agricultural land that formerly grew jojoba and is now set to contain roughly 72,000 photovoltaic modules.
About 150 jobs should be created during peak construction time. McCarthy Building Companies will construct the facility, which will be owned and operated by APS.
Hyder II, like Hyder I, is part of APS' AZ Sun solar power development program. The 35-MW Foothills solar plant, currently under construction off 40th Street between Foothills Boulevard and Fortuna Road, is also an AZ Sun endeavor.
In other supervisors news, Monday was the final meeting for longtime supervisor Casey Prochaska. Prochaska has represented District 3, covering the Foothills and points east, for 20 years.
Although Prochaska's colleagues had already honored her at a reception, the board members again praised the Republican's many contributions and encouraged her to make the motions on the final agenda items.
Supervisor Tony Reyes said a high compliment for an elected official is to leave things better than how they found them, and that she had a positive impact on his leadership.
“Imagine what it would have been,” he quipped.
“You will be missed, very much,” he added.
Republican Russ Clark was elected to fill the District 3 slot in November. He will be sworn in next month.
Hillary Davis can be reached at hdavis@yumasun.com or 539-6857. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSHillaryDavis or on Twitter at @YSHillaryDavis.
