Community Outreach
2018-2021
Plus Power meetings with the town of Avondale, Arizona to introduce the project concept
July 13, 2021
Virtual community meeting
September 15, 2021 - 6:00 p.m.
Planning commission public hearing
11465 W. Civic Center Drive, Suite 280
Avondale, AZ 85323
Meeting agenda - See item 5(b) on Public Hearing Items, Application PL-21-0116
November 1, 2021 - 7:00 p.m.
City council public hearing
11465 W. Civic Center Drive, Suite 280
Avondale, AZ 85323
Meeting agenda - See Item 5(a) on Regular Agenda, Application PL-21-0116
June 13-July 31, 2022
Generation tie-in line virtual open house
Comments welcome
November 7, 2022 - 1:00 p.m. MST
Hearing Before the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee: Consideration of an Application for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility for the Sierra Estrella Generation Intertie Project
Hilton Garden Inn, Tempe
86 South Rockford Drive
Tempe, AZ 85281
November 8, 2022 - 9:00 a.m. MST
Continuation - Hearing Before the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee: Consideration of an Application for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility for the Sierra Estrella Generation Intertie Project
Hilton Garden Inn, Tempe
86 South Rockford Drive
Tempe, AZ 85281
January 23, 2023
Approval of Docket No. L-21207A-22-0252-00208, Case 208 & Issuance of CEC Permit
April 2023
Construction start
Summer 2024
Anticipated commercial operation date
Local Outreach
Plus Power began developing Sierra Estrella in 2018 with a focus on meeting the needs of the Arizona grid and the customers it serves. We are committed to working with the Avondale community and keeping the City involved throughout the development process.
Please visit the City of Avondale’s website to view related agendas and filings about the proposed project or review the links in the left panel of this page.
As part of the overall Sierra Estrella Battery Energy Storage project, an approximately 500-foot-long (0.10 mile) power line will be constructed on privately owned land in Avondale, Arizona. The power line will connect the Sierra Estrella Energy Storage project to the existing regional electrical grid via the immediately adjacent existing Rudd Substation. Plus Power held a virtual open house to educate the community about the project.
AZ State Permitting Process
Approval to construct a generation tie line for the proposed project was granted from the Arizona Corporation Commission and Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee via a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility (CEC).
The project went before the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee on November 7 and 8, 2022 as Case Number 208, with public hearings. The case was recommended for approval on November 10, 2022, and the Certificate of Environmental Compatibility was approved by the ACC on January 23, 2023.
See complete details
A pre-hearing conference was held between project representatives and the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee at 2:00 p.m. on October 31, 2022. Read the publicly available transcript.
A pre-filing conference was held between project representatives and the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee at 1:00 p.m. on September 16, 2022. Read the publicly available transcript.
April 12, 2023 groundbreaking event with Nick Vanderwey, Rexco; Grant Smedley, Director of Resource Planning at SRP; Charles Wallis, Construction Manager at Burns & McDonnell; Avondale Assistant City Manager Tracy Stevens; Avondale Councilmember Curtis Nielson; Avondale Councilmember Veronica Malone; Avondale Councilmember Max White; Ken Chapa, Avondale Economic Development Director; Molly Emerson, Director of Project Development at Plus Power; Avondale Fire Marshal Jason Napier
Community Benefits
The Sierra Estrella Energy Storage facility will be a good neighbor and a valuable asset to the surrounding community for decades to come. The project will provide necessary capacity to the region with no air polluting emissions. As a static facility with insignificant traffic and minimal municipal services, the Sierra Estrella facility will have little impact on neighbors. Significant project benefits to the community include:
High-paying construction jobs
Enhanced resiliency from a new, state-of-the-art power resource
Expanded property tax base for the local district