The Arizona Corporation Commission Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee at a hearing on Monday took public testimony on the Salt River Project Coolidge Expansion Project (CEP), a natural gas project in Pinal County that supporters say will help meet the region’s growing energy demands in an environmentally responsible way. 

The proposed expansion will enable the addition of more renewable resources while maintaining a reliable power grid. With the expansion project, SRP will be able to meet the objectives while also staying on the path to decarbonize their energy generation processes over the long term. 

SRP is anticipating a 16% increase in peak energy demand by 2025, which the CEP would be able to support. The expansion plans for 16 new natural gas turbines to be installed at the Coolidge Generating Station.

The power that is generated by the plant will go to neighboring cities and towns in Maricopa County, but the benefits will be widespread. The construction will generate jobs for residents and more than $76 million in property taxes from 2024 to 2033.

The Boilermakers 627 chapter had multiple members speak in favor of the project at the hearing, with union representatives conveying to the committee members the importance of the jobs being created by the project. 

James Horcala, one of the members of the union, spoke on the opportunity to remain close to home. 

“Me and my son are going to get hired in Casa Grande,” he said. “We are qualified to do the work. This is the first time that we are going to be at home and be able to be in our community.”

State Rep. David Cook, R-Globe, also spoke in support of the CEP’s benefits for the state. 

“These are the facts: Arizona is one of the fastest and largest growing [states] in our country,” Cook said. “The reality is that customers need electricity and they need it to be affordable electricity. SRP is investing in the infrastructure that is needed for the state. We should be thanking them for looking down the road for the future of the state.”

A representative from the Arizona Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ of Commerce & Industry also spoke in favor of the CEP.

“The Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»­ believes that Arizona’s ability to meet the energy demands of job creators is an essential part of the state’s overall economic development strategy,” said Courtney Coolidge, vice president of government affairs. “We are fortunate that leaders like SRP are meeting industry demands with solutions that not only ensure the affordable delivery of reliable power but are also doing so in an environmentally responsible way that helps wean us off carbon-intensive sources, as SRP maintains its commitment that nearly half of all the retail energy it delivers will come from zero-carbon sources within the next four years.”

The public can learn more about the project at SRP’s .

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There’s a reason the state capitol has a copper dome, a copper star on the state flag, and a miner gracing the state seal. Mining is a $6.6 billion industry in Arizona with a legacy reaching back to the heyday of Tombstone and Jerome.

Today, Arizona is the number one producer of copper in the country and the second largest mine producing state. Yet even now, people have misconceptions about mining, said Steve Trussell, executive director of the Arizona Rock Products Association and the Arizona Mining Association that represent aggregate and hard rock mining in the state.

“One of the biggest misconceptions is about safety,” Trussell said. “Right now, our safety record is lower than retail. It’s lower than government and on par with education.

Intense regular training, daily safety meetings, and heightened vigilance are today’s world.

“These guys are serious,” Trussell said about employees. “They just won’t tolerate unsafe acts in the workplace.”

Other common myths about mining:

Wages are low

Mining requires highly trained laborers, managers and professionals including mining and planning engineers, geologists, metallurgists, and plant operations managers.

The median income in the mining industry in Arizona is $102,860, Trussell said.

Geoscience employees average $70,100 a year, according to data collected by the American Geosciences Institute. Laborers are paid higher than elsewhere because mining’s remote locations make it difficult to recruit workers.

“When I make presentations in schools, people are always surprised to find out what equipment operators are paid,” Trussell said.

Heavy equipment operators’ annual salaries in Arizona range from $36,000 to $52,600.

It’s a man’s industry

There are women in the industry, many who hold highly technical and highly degreed positions as well as labor jobs. About 13 percent of mining industry employees are women, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At the School of Mines in Colorado, 28 percent of students are female, according to U.S. News & World Report.

“We have haul drivers and geologists who are women, and many in jobs that require a high attention to detail,” Trussell said.

Mining is destroying the environment

Government regulations, new technology, and mining companies’ commitment to cleaning up “orphan” mining sites have produced cleaner processes and reduced environmental impacts.

Now, there are a number of green practices: recycling waste, methane capturing techniques, zero discharge water programs, energy efficiency programs, and dust control. Mining companies also have reclaimed millions of acres of mined land and converted it into areas for public parks, recreation, and wildlife reserves, according to the U.S. Mining Association.

In Arizona, mines recycle 75 percent of the water they use, Trussell said.

Technology is outdated

Technology has become more advanced, not only in cleaner processes but in extraction of materials not accessible in the past. New technology makes safety equipment safer and can act as a replacement for humans in dangerous situations.

“We don’t put people in harm’s way when we can use robotics or drones,” Trussell said. “Instead of putting someone on a high piece of equipment, we’ll put up a drone.”

Mining is under regulated

There are federal laws that govern mining’s impact on the environment, and most states have their own regulations. Federal laws govern environmental abuses such as the release of hazardous substances, spillages, and airborne or water pollution.

“Some folks think this is an unregulated industry but if you look at the list of things we’re responsible for we are absolutely regulated on every front; air quality, solid waste, water quality, hazardous materials, and safety,” Trussell said.

Clearly, the days of old are gone.

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NextEra Energy Resources and Salt River Project announced the opening of Pinal Central Solar Energy Center an integrated solar plant equipped with a battery system that will store energy.

The solar photovoltaic generation facility will generate enough solar energy to power 5,000 homes and will store excess energy in a state-of-the-art 10-megawatt (MW) lithium-ion battery storage system.

“The project’s design allows SRP to utilize solar and battery storage together to optimize clean energy output to benefit our customers,” according to SRP General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Mike Hummel.

Solar generation starts to ramp down in the late afternoon when customers are typically using energy at the highest level. With this battery system, the stored energy will be available to customers during that critical time.

PCSEC is comprised of 258,000 solar panels on 257 acres of land east of Casa Grande.

Matt Handel, vice president of renewable development for NextEra Energy Resources, said the project will also bring “significant economic benefit to the region, creating jobs and providing additional tax revenue to the communities that host it.”

This project will generate over $7 million in additional revenue for Pinal County over its operational lifetime.

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The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station is the nation’s largest power producer, serving across the Southwest and providing about 35 percent of Arizona’s electric power, . Palo Verde relies on billions of gallons of recycled wastewater each year for cooling.

If the  initiative appears on the ballot in November, voters will decide the plant’s future.

Read the .

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