Quartzsite Solar Energy Project

​Quartzsite Solar Energy, LLC proposes to construct a 100-MW (net), solar-powered electrical generation facility in La Paz County, Ariz. The proposed Project would be located approximately six miles north of Quartzsite, and adjacent to Arizona State Route 95. The proposed Project, powerline and ancillary facilities would be on BLM administered land.

The proposed project would use concentrating solar “power tower” technology to capture the sun’s heat to make steam, which would power traditional steam turbine generators. The solar power facility would contain the power block, a central receiver or tower, solar fields which consist of mirrors or heliostats to reflect the sun’s energy to the central tower, a thermal energy storage system, technical and non-technical buildings, a stormwater system, water supply and treatment systems, a wastewater system, and other supporting facilities.

QSE has applied to WAPA to interconnect the proposed Project to WAPA’s transmission system. The transmission line from the solar facility would extend approximately 0.5 miles from the solar facility boundary to a new substation to be constructed adjacent to WAPA’s existing line. The substation would be owned, operated, and maintained by WAPA, and would be located adjacent to WAPA’s existing Bouse-Kofa 161-kV line that parallels State Route 95 in the vicinity of Quartzsite, Ariz.

WAPA will prepare an environmental impact statement to address WAPA’s Federal action of interconnecting the proposed Project to WAPA’s transmission system and making any necessary modification to WAPA facilities to accommodate the interconnection. The EIS will also review the potential environmental impacts of QSE constructing, operating, and maintaining the proposed project. The Bureau of Land Management will serve as a cooperating agency during preparation of the EIS.

Environmental Impact Statement

Scoping Report Available

The report summarizes the scoping process for the Quartzsite Solar Energy Project and includes materials presented to the public during scoping and a summary of the comments received.

Scoping Materials

Project Updates

Contact Information

NEPA Document Manager
Western Area Power Administration
P.O. Box 6457
Phoenix, AZ  85005-6457
Fax: 602-605-2630
E-mail: quartzsitesolarEIS@wapa.gov

Last modified on November 18th, 2024