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A new solar energy power plant looks set to be built in Benson, bringing up to 200 construction jobs to Cochise County.
The project, located near the intersection of East 4th Street and Benson Airport Road, will permanently employ three to five people once completed, and supply electricity to around 600 homes, according to developer Soventix USA.
The company’s request for a 135-acre parcel to be rezoned from residential to light industrial was reviewed by the Cochise County Planning & Zoning Commission on Aug. 8. The commission voted unanimously to recommend the rezoning be approved by the Board of Supervisors at its regular meeting on September 11.
Additionally, the commission is recommending a neighboring parcel of 202 acres, currently a cattle farm, be rezoned to light industrial, following a request by Cochise County Development Services staff. The site’s proximity to local infrastructure and the proposed solar energy plant means the rezoning would be in keeping with the immediate area, said planner Robert Kirschmann.
Krista Dearing, of Tetra Tech Incorporated, a consulting firm representing Soventix USA, said the company typically looked to develop sites where the land had been degraded and where the impact on wildlife habitat would be minimal.
“This is the perfect site,” she said, noting it is also near transmission facilities operated by Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative. “And we will be helping to provide renewable energy in Cochise County.”
The solar energy power plant, to be built on the site of the former Benson Airport, will produce up to 20 megawatts per day – enough to supply 590 homes with their electricity needs, added Dearing.
Submitted by Amanda Bailie, Cochise County.
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