SRP to Submit Up to 1.7 GW Hybrid Energy Project Proposal to Board in September
Salt River Project (SRP) said on Tuesday that it plans to seek board approval in September for the development of the Marigold Energy Center, located about 45 miles south of Phoenix, encompassing 400 MW of battery energy storage, 600 MW of solar power, and up to 675 MW of natural gas generation, aimed at serving the growing electricity demand in Maricopa and Pinal counties in Arizona.
The Salt River Project (SRP) announced Tuesday that it plans to submit a hybrid energy project development proposal to its board in September to address growing electricity demand in Maricopa and Pinal counties in Arizona. The project, named the Marigold Energy Center, is located about 45 miles south of Phoenix.
According to the public power utility, the Marigold Energy Center will include 400 megawatts of battery energy storage, 600 megawatts of solar generation, up to 675 megawatts of natural gas generation, as well as a new substation and four miles of 230-kilovolt transmission lines.
The Marigold project was first announced last year, along with informational sessions held for the local community in Stanfield, Arizona. On Tuesday, SRP said it will hold an additional in-person open house and an online meeting to "share information, seek public input, and answer questions."
SRP plans to hold an informational session in Stanfield on July 28 and an online open house on July 29. Previously, related meetings were held at Stanfield Elementary School in December of last year and March of this year.
According to SRP's website, the project "will strengthen SRP's commitment to providing reliable and affordable electricity to Arizona to support economic growth." The project may also involve collaboration with Electrical District No. 3 (ED3), a regional public power utility.
SRP stated: "ED3 is evaluating a potential partnership with SRP to procure a portion of the electricity generated by the Marigold Energy Center, thereby enhancing its ability to serve local customers with reliable and competitively priced electricity."
SRP said it is expanding energy storage resources within its system to meet growing electricity demand in a reliable, affordable, and cleaner way.
In June of this year, SRP announced an agreement with Google-backed Energy Dome to build and connect to the grid a 19-megawatt, 10-hour-duration carbon dioxide-based battery system at the Coronado Generating Station in St. Johns, Arizona. The project was selected through a request for proposals (RFP) issued by SRP in 2024.
In October of last year, SRP also selected ESS Tech to develop a 5-megawatt/50-megawatt-hour iron flow battery, advancing through a pilot project and energy storage procurement agreement.