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Pinal County panel votes to oppose proposed 500-megawatt energy project near Maricopa
The county’s Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-3 on Oct. 15 to recommend denying land-use changes needed for the Horseshoe Energy project. The proposal combines a large battery storage system with a natural gas power plant, and its developers plan to return with a revised site plan.
A Pinal County planning panel has again voted against a proposed energy project near Maricopa, recommending denial of changes needed for the development to move forward.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-3 on Oct. 15 against amendments sought by Horseshoe BESS LLC, a subsidiary of Epic Star Energy Inc. The vote was the second time the commission had opposed the project; it rejected a previous set of requested amendments on Sept. 17.
The proposal calls for a 500-megawatt battery energy storage system and a natural gas power plant about 10 miles southwest of Maricopa, in the unincorporated Hidden Valley area. The land is owned by Desert Leasing LLC.
The commission’s vote is a recommendation to deny the amendments, rather than a final decision on a revised proposal. Epic Star Energy is expected to bring a revised site plan to the commission for consideration at a later date.
The repeated opposition leaves the project’s path forward uncertain. Any revised plan will return to county review, where decisions about land use will shape what kinds of major energy infrastructure can be built near the growing Maricopa area.