The Pinal County Board of Supervisors has authorized the construction of a major battery energy storage facility within the Town of San Tan Valley. The decision clears the path for the Copper Basin Energy Storage project, which will occupy 25 acres at the southwest intersection of East Bella Vista Road and North Attaway Road. San Tan Valley is about 7 miles southeast of Queen Creek.
The board approved three linked land-use cases by voice vote, with no supervisors opposing the measures. The site is bordered on three sides by Salt River Project (SRP) energy infrastructure, including a 270-acre solar field and a primary substation. The facility will connect directly to the nearby Able substation, located less than a mile away.
Developer Plus Power presented the project to the board, stating the system would have a capacity of 250 megawatts and 2,000 megawatt-hours. The company indicated the facility is designed to stabilize the power grid during peak demand periods, such as hot Arizona afternoons. According to the applicant, the system could supply power to up to 100,000 homes for eight to 13 hours during a grid outage.
The approvals included a comprehensive plan amendment to change the land designation from suburban neighborhood to general public facilities, a rezoning from general rural and single-residence to industrial zoning, and a planned area development overlay. The board approved the rezoning with one condition and the overlay with 18 conditions. Senior planner Tanya Bedward noted that the industrial zoning allows for a zero-foot setback on one side, adjacent to a parcel designated for similar energy development, while an 8-foot decorative wall and landscaped buffer will surround the rest of the site.
Safety concerns were addressed by Brian Schultz, a safety engineer and retired Phoenix firefighter, who stated that modern battery technology is heavily tested and regulated. He cited the 2019 McMicken battery fire as a catalyst for improved safety standards. Matthew Look of Plus Power confirmed the site uses no water for operations and that water for fire service is available in the area, with the company planning to truck water for its own operations building. The nearest Rural Metro fire station is approximately five miles to the west.
