Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) and AMEC, an international engineering and project management company, have completed the first 17 MW of the Foothills solar power plant, the fifth solar facility constructed under APS' AZ Sun program.
The 35 MW plant is being built in two phases; the remaining 18 MW is scheduled to reach commercial operation by the end of the year. Resting on 400 acres in Yuma County, Foothills is the first solar facility ever to be built on Arizona State Trust Land, APS and AMEC note. In late 2011, the State Land Department completed extensive work to identify State Trust land sites suitable for solar development.
APS has a 35-year lease on the land, at a cost of $10 million. The proceeds from land sales and leases of State Trust land go to the beneficiaries of the State Land Trust, primarily Arizona Common Schools, supporting grades K-12.
