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A Spanish-based utility company is in the planning stages of developing a 500-megawatt solar and battery storage facility near Three Points that could cover thousands of acres of land, according to a letter delivered to landowners in the community.
The letter dated July 31 from Three Points Solar, LLC gives details of a new facility on state trust land two miles northeast of Three Points, encompassing a section of State Route 86. Its rough boundaries include W. Los Reales to the north and W. Guy St. to the south. It’s easternmost boundary is S. Marsteller Road., and westernmost is S. Comanche Dr. north of the highway, and S. Van Dr. south of the 86.
It also includes a transmission line cutting through the middle of the project and a point of interconnection to connect it to a local power grid. The company did not respond to the Star’s question as to where the company is proposing to connect, or what the generated power would be used for.
Proposed area for a solar farm and battery storage factory near Three Points, AZ, from RepSol subsidiary CG Three Points, LLC.
The letter is the first publicly available confirmation of the planned proposal, after several months of speculation in community groups and online.
Rancher Doug Lowell found out about the project through his board position on the Altar Valley Conservation Association and has helped organize an opposition effort called Open Space Alliance Southern Arizona.
“I’m appalled at the idea of covering over eight square miles of habitat, which you know has a variety of species and plant life, with solar panels. I think it’s it’s too much. It’s too big. It’s the wrong place, and that’s my motivation,” Lowell said.
The organization has held two community meetings so far, Lowell said. He said the community is concerned about habitat disruption and changing Three Points’ “rural character”, the website reads.
The company has yet to confirm the acreage of the proposal, although an estimate can be made based on the proposed capacity. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, one megawatt of generating capacity for a utility-scale solar farm requires between five and seven acres of land. A 500 megawatt facility would require between 2,500 acres and 3,500 acres under that estimate.
A redacted email posted in the Three Points Freedom Community Facebook group estimates the project to be over 5,000 acres in size. CG Three Points did not respond to the Star’s request for an interview or to confirm acreage details.
RepSol says it will create 600 construction jobs, and “about a dozen” permanent jobs once operational.
The company says the development will generate $200 million in tax revenue for schools and public services. The company is aiming to start construction in late 2027 with an estimated completion date of sometime in 2029.
The project is on Arizona State Trust Land, meaning the land will have to be sold or leased at auction. Arizona’s state trust lands are managed to generate money for public schools and other beneficiaries. The state can lease or sell the rights to use the land, with the proceeds going to those beneficiaries.
However, the land will likely need to be rezoned first by Pima County before any land lease is proposed.
The parcels within the proposed project area received the highest rating under the department’s internal solar scoring system, which evaluates land for its suitability for solar development.
CG Three Points is a subsidiary of the Spanish utility company RepSol, according to Arizona Corporation Commission Filings.
RepSol entered the US in 2021 when it bought 40% of the solar company Hecate Energy. In 2023, it acquired Texas-based ConnectGen, a wind, solar, and energy storage company. The acquisition added almost 20,000 megawatts of planned and in-development projects to RepSol’s US portfolio, according to a company press release.
CG Three Points has been a registered Limited Liability Company with the Arizona Corporation Commission since 2021.
The company was to hold a community meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 12, at Fred’s Arena Bar & Steakhouse from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., the letter reads.
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Proposed area for a solar farm and battery storage factory near Three Points, AZ, from RepSol subsidiary CG Three Points, LLC.
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