Continued development of Copper Crossing

About the Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center

SRP is continuing the development and creation of the Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center on land owned by SRP adjacent to the existing Abel Substation on West Judd Road and the existing Copper Crossing Solar Ranch on West Bella Vista Road in Florence, Arizona.

The continued development will complement the existing solar generation at the site and is expected to feature generating resources needed to support and enable SRP’s transition to a more sustainable and lower carbon resource mix, including advanced solar technology, two flexible natural gas turbines with a total output of less than 99 megawatts (MW), and small-scale long-duration energy storage (LDES) technologies.

Presentation on Copper Crossing.

Phase I project information: Flexible natural gas generation

On Sept. 12, 2022, the SRP Board approved the first phase of continued development at the Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center site (Copper Crossing).

Phase 1 consisted of the engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning and startup of flexible natural gas generation resources.

In the summer of 2024, SRP installed two flexible natural gas turbines that generate 99 MW of energy. In addition to the generating facility, there will also be a new 69-kilovolt (kV) substation constructed adjacent to the existing SRP Abel Substation.

Air permit application

The 30-day public comment period for the air permit application began on January 26, 2023. A virtual public hearing was held on February 27, 2023. The Pinal County Air Quality District issued an air quality permit on May 4, 2023.

Phase II project information: Advanced solar generation

On Dec. 5, 2022, the SRP Board approved Phase II Advanced Solar Generation that will be located west of Attaway Road at the Copper Crossing site.

Phase II details:

SRP is adding 55 MW of large-scale solar across 270 acres of SRP-owned land. This will generate enough carbon-free energy to power approximately 55,000 average-sized homes a year.

SRP will develop, own and operate the facility.

The proposed solar project will provide renewable energy that supports SRP’s 2035 Sustainability Goals.

Construction activities began in the fall of 2024, and are expected to last through December 2025.

Phase III project information: Long-duration energy storage pilot projects

On June 27, 2023, the SRP Board approved the first long-duration energy storage (LDES) pilot project as part of the third phase of development at Copper Crossing. Phase III will serve as an opportunity to study and develop new energy storage technologies to support ongoing research on LDES development. SRP is actively pursuing two LDES pilot projects at this site.

Phase III details:

Desert Blume, the first pilot project, will utilize CMBlu Energy’s Organic SolidFlow battery energy storage system. CMBlu Energy’s first-of-a-kind Organic SolidFlow long-duration energy storage system is made from abundant and easily sourced raw materials and is easily recyclable. CMBlu’s technology also uses nonflammable materials and is expected to offer a longer lifespan than conventional lithium-ion batteries, an important factor for long-running utility electric system equipment. Desert Blume will be the first installation of CMBlu’s technology at this scale in the world.

Project New Horizon, the second pilot project, will use ESS Tech, Inc.’s Energy Base iron flow battery. ESS’ technology utilizes a solution consisting mainly of iron, salt and water to store and discharge energy. The batteries are expected to have a longer lifespan than lithium-ion batteries, and due to their water-based content, are nonflammable. They are also domestically sourced and built to operate across a wide range of temperatures. While ESS has deployed dozens of batteries around the world, Project New Horizon will be the first deployment of ESS’ Energy Base design targeted for larger utility-scale projects.

SRP selected both innovative technologies from competitive bidding processes that sought alternatives to lithium-ion batteries with a 10-hour duration to enable storing daytime solar energy for nighttime use. Each pilot is expected to store enough energy to power 1,125 homes for 10 hours and will support ongoing research on LDES development. Both are expected to be online by December 2027.

SRP is working with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to evaluate the performance of both pilot projects and will use the findings to help inform how SRP meets our 2035 Sustainability Goals.

Contact us

For questions about the Copper Crossing Energy and Research Center, please call (602) 236-2872 or email 2872line@srpnet.com.