M&A’s environmental permitting expertise proves beneficial to Arizona’s largest solar power plant

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality just announced that it has issued an aquifer protection permit (APP) to Arizona Solar One LLC for its Solana Generating Station, located near Gila Bend. Currently under construction, Solana is expected to be fully operational in 2013. This plant will be Arizona’s largest solar-electric generating station — and the largest source of renewable energy for Arizona Public Service, which has agreed to buy all of the electricity it generates.

M&A assisted Arizona Solar One with its APP application, a process that involved conducting a hydrogeologic study, negotiating the permit requirements, and preparing or reviewing many components of the application package, among other tasks. This work was conducted within a short period to meet Arizona Solar One’s aggressive August 1 deadline, and the permit was issued within 6 months of submitting a major addendum to the application under ADEQ’s expedited APP program.

M&A’s project team was led by two former ADEQ managers — Michele Robertson and Carrolette Winstead — who both joined us in recent years to provide environmental permitting expertise on projects like this one. Michele and Carrolette work out of our Phoenix office.

• Read ADEQ’s press release, which offers some interesting details about Solana’s role in meeting Arizona’s future energy needs.