This new frontier in renewable energy is truly bigger than ourselves. It’s about future generations and conservation on a landscape scale.
“Where we are today, as we embark on renewable energy endeavors, is truly inspirational for the Babbitt family,” said Babbitt Ranches President and General Manager Billy Cordasco. “We are talking about what matters most for future generations. And, what we have all worked toward is not just a shift for Babbitt Ranches, but a regional and statewide shift involving landowners, city and county entities, power companies and really all of us as we help Arizona reach its clean energy goals.”
The solar panel development proposed for Babbitt Ranches’ land, northwest of Flagstaff and east of Valle, is scheduled to be in operation in 2024 and expected to deliver between 440 and 480 megawatts of renewable energy to SRP customers, enough to serve 80,000 homes, while offsetting 1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
“Clēnera has historically paved the way for renewable energy in the state, and CO Bar Solar is yet another example of progress being made in Arizona’s clean energy sector,” said Clēnera Vice President of Business Development Jared McKee.
“Babbitt Ranches has been navigating how to best participate in these renewable energy efforts for some time, especially when it comes to considering future generations,” said Cordasco. “Not only are we talking about the development of renewable energy, we are considering the ripple effect, which includes maintaining open space across Arizona’s landscape, creating conservation programs that support the sustainability of golden eagle populations and other wildlife species and their habitats, learning more about what constitutes a healthy environment, managing for recreational opportunities, and continuing our agricultural traditions of raising Hereford cattle and promoting a strong American Quarter Horse program.”
Occupying up to 2,400 acres of private Babbitt Ranches land in Coconino County, CO Bar Solar is one of the largest solar projects being developed in the state and the country. Throughout the 18-month construction timeline, expected to begin in 2023, an estimated 550 construction jobs will be created. The life of the project is projected to be about 35 years.
“The CO Bar power plant is an incredible clean energy resource that will support SRP customers and help us take a significant step toward our decarbonization goals,” said SRP General Manager and CEO Mike Hummel.
“This direction in renewable energy takes into account all the different focus areas that we have, including maintaining an overall healthy environment and participating in a broad regional perspective – it brings it all together as we further continue to develop strong and healthy relationships with many different groups and individuals,” said Cordasco. “In the end, we are just really inspired to engage our imaginations about what a wonderful future we can help ensure for generations to come. This new frontier in renewable energy is truly bigger than ourselves. It’s about future generations and conservation on a landscape scale.” FBN
By Bonnie Stevens, FBN
