Sterling Solar 1 Interconnection Project, DOE/EA-2124
About the project
Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) proposes to prepare an environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate the environmental effects of the Sterling Solar 1 Photovoltaic Interconnection Project in which Sterling Solar, LLC, has submitted an interconnection request to interconnect their proposed Sterling Solar 1 Photovoltaic Interconnection Project to WAPA’s existing Black Mesa-Topock 230-kilovolt (kV) electrical transmission system in Mohave County, Arizona. The proposed Sterling Solar 1 Photovoltaic Interconnection Project would involve the construction of a 225-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic solar energy facility and a battery storage facilities component to be located on a 2,077-acre parcel of private land. Sterling Solar 1, LLC’s facilities are not part of WAPA’s Federal action, but their potential indirect impacts/effects will be presented alongside that of the Federal action as part of a comprehensive analysis in a Draft Environmental Assessment.
Project features
Sterling Solar, LLC plans to build, operate, and maintain up to a 225-MW photovoltaic solar energy generation and battery storage facilities. Construction of the facility includes the following components:
- Installing solar panels up to 2,077 acres of land;
- Installing underground collection lines from each panel to a collection point substation;
- Creating access roads within the facility for construction and maintenance;
- Constructing an on-site collection point substation covering 20 acres; and
- Installing and maintaining an onsite interconnection facility to the Topock-Black Mesa 230-kV transmission lines.
Current status
October 2020: WAPA has completed its environmental review process of the proposed Project and has decided to approve the request for interconnection onto the transmission system operated and managed by WAPA. The Final Environmental Assessment (PDF) and the Finding of No Significant Impacts (PDF) (FONSI) have been issued and can be found in the DOCUMENTS section below. The next steps for the Project would be to enter into a Large Generator Interconnection Agreement with WAPA as well as implementing the Project-related transmission system upgrades.
If you need further information related to WAPA’s environmental review, please contact Andrew M. Montaño via the contact information below:
Email: montano@wapa.gov
Phone: (720) 962-7253
Documents
- Finding of No Significant Impacts (FONSI) (PDF) (October 2020)
- Final Environmental Assessment (EA) (PDF) (September 2020)
- Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) (PDF) (July 2020)
- Posterboard Presentation of Findings within the EA (PDF) (July 2020)
- Postcard Announcement of Draft EA to the Public (PDF) (June 2020)
- Project Vicinity Map (PDF) (September 2019)
- Letter to the Public (PDF) (September 2019)
- Project Map (PDF) (August 2019)
- Determination to Prepare an Environmental Assessment (PDF) (8-20-19)
Last modified on December 19th, 2024