Brenda renewable Power Project

LA PAZ COUNTY, ARIZONA

Brenda Renewable Power Project

LA PAZ COUNTY, ARIZONA

Brenda Renewable Power Project

About

The Project

Heliogen is proposing a hybrid concentrating solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) project to generate clean electricity in La Paz County, Arizona. Heliogen has secured a 30-year lease for the 3,343-acre site from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which designated the area as a Solar Energy Zone (SEZ) and plans to prioritize solar energy and associated transmission infrastructure development within the region. As part of its SEZ designation, the site was preliminarily reviewed under the BLM’s Solar Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and selected to avoid environmental resource conflicts. The Brenda site also has high solar potential (2670 kWh/m2/year) and is conveniently located near the I-10 energy corridor.

1 MW of solar power can power approximately 173 homes. The 190 MW solar project could serve up to 32,870 homes. *source based on national averages

Capacity

Heliogen’s Brenda Renewable Power Project is unique relative to other renewable power sources in that it can store and dispatch cost-effective thermal energy, providing 190 MW of clean electricity around the clock.

Environmental

Impact

The Brenda Renewable Power Project will provide a clean energy solution for reliable and dispatchable electricity generation in a fast-growing region of the United States. Heliogen has started engaging local governments and collaborate with community members to demonstrate their commitment to community partnership.

How It Works

Water

Requirements

We respect our stakeholders and we know that water is a precious natural resource and important commodity in La Paz County, Arizona. To conserve water, our concentrating solar development adopts a zero-to-minimum water usage philosophy in our plant design, and we use water resources only for maintenance activities. Overall, this project will use less than one-fifth of what would be used in generating clean hydrogen using electrolysis.

Frequently Asked

Questions

The project is located near a designated energy corridor and has several transmission options for transporting the clean electricity our development generates. The project interconnection would be located in La Paz County and would serve customers connected to the grid from the chosen interconnection point. A number of factors go into making the final transmission determination. Our utmost priorities are to ensure that the clean electricity we generate will be transported to established and growing markets in the way that is most safe, cost-efficient and environmentally protective.

This project will be beneficial for the local economies and local governments of La Paz County. We are still evaluating the full economic benefit to the community, but we anticipate that capital expenditure and economic multiplier effect of the construction process will be a boon to the local economies in this region.

As part of the required federal permitting process, we will be conducting a thorough environmental review in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), which requires federal agencies to consider the environmental consequences of a proposed action and allows for public input in the decision making process. In addition to these required federal processes, we continue to work with local officials to ensure our adherence to local regulations and to better facilitate community involvement during the development stage of the project.

Economic

Impact

The Brenda Renewable Power Project is planned to generate significant economic benefit by creating approximately 300 jobs during the construction phase of the project, which is expected to last three to four years. Once built, the project will provide approximately 30 high-paying local jobs. Heliogen is evaluating the full economic benefit to the community and are actively seeking a reputable institution to conduct a comprehensive project economic impact study, but we anticipate significant direct and secondary economic benefits to the region and state.

Community

Partnership

Heliogen is committed to partnering with our communities in a meaningful way. Being responsible neighbors to the communities of Brenda, Parker, Bouse, and Quartzsite is our priority. Heliogen joined the La Paz Economic Development Corporation and the Parker, Bouse and McMullen Valley chambers of commerce in support of local businesses. Heliogen continues to sponsor local non-profit causes and community partnership events to ensure it is effectively engaging with all its stakeholders. We also continue to have fruitful conversations with community members to understand how best Heliogen can contribute meaningfully to the community in furtherance of our commitment to corporate social responsibility. Please stay tuned for more information on that topic in coming months.

Anticipated

Project Timeline

2024

Q1: Initiate NEPA technical studies and reports

Q4: Initiate NEPA process

2024 - 2026

Public/Stakeholder Engagement Processes

2025

Q4: Completion of NEPA Process (subject to BLM availability for review and processing)

2026

Q3: Project Construction Start

2027

Q3: Phase I Project Completion (Will provide ~30% production capacity)

2029

Q3: Full Project Completion

Anticipated

Project Timeline

Public Meetings

Want to learn more about this project? Come speak with our experts!

  • 9/18/24: La Paz County Comprehensive Plan Amendment/Conditional Use Permit public meeting, Wenden, AZ, 5:00 pm at the Centennial Community Center
  • 9/19/24: La Paz County Comprehensive Plan Amendment/Conditional Use Permit public meeting, Bouse, AZ, 5:00 pm at the Bouse Community Center
  • 10/21/24: La Paz County Comprehensive Plan Amendment/Conditional Use Permit Board of Supervisors working session, 11:00 am at 1108 S Joshua Ave, Parker, AZ 85344
  • Week of 10/28/24 (tentative): La Paz County Comprehensive Plan Amendment/Conditional Use Permit Board of Supervisors working session – please continue to check our website as more details become available
  • 11/6/24: La Paz County Economic Development Presentation, Parker, AZ
  • 11/7/24: Quartzite Chamber Presentation, 6:30 p.m., 79 W Main Street, Quartzsite, AZ
  • 11/7/24: Parker Rotary Club Presentation, 12 p.m., BPO Parker Elks,79 W Main Street in Quartzsite. #1929, 716 S. Laguna Ave., Parker, AZ
  • 11/23/24: Quartzite Fall Festival Booth
  • 12/5/24: La Paz County Planning & Zoning Commission, 4 p.m., 1108 Joshua Ave., Parker, AZ
  • 12/16/24: La Paz County Supervisor Hearing, 10:00 a.m.,1108 S. Joshua Ave., Parker, AZ

About

Heliogen

We are a U.S.-based company that uses concentrating solar energy to produce carbon-free heat or power solutions. Our core technology enables the accurate control of mirrors for high efficiency reflection of sunlight onto a receiver, which uses the heat from the sun to generate electricity.

Heliogen is proposing a new solar facility in Brenda, Arizona. The federally recognized Solar Energy Zone in Brenda provides ideal conditions for concentrated solar installations, which will allow us to produce low-cost, clean power to meet growing demand in the region. 

We are a company committed to American energy security, building American-owned solar technology in the US and deploying our technology internationally.

Questions?

    Dear Friends,

    Welcome to the Brenda Renewable Power Project website!

    On behalf of Heliogen, we’re grateful for your interest in our project. This site serves as a resource for you to learn more about our plans and our dedication to being responsible neighbors to La Paz County. We believe in the importance of open communication and welcome your thoughts and questions.

    We want you to know that we’re committed to developing clean energy solutions with minimal disruption to our desert environment. We will do everything we can to help mitigate any effects construction might have on the native soil, vegetation, and wildlife. Our approach and intentions are to limit unnecessary land disturbance, preserve native plants where possible, and incorporate animal-friendly features such as fencing that allows the many desert animals to roam freely.

    We value this community’s feedback and have been responsive to it. Recently, we made substantive change to the scope of our project. You might have heard that the project no longer includes hydrogen production and instead focuses on producing hybrid solar energy. This change reflects our dedication to being responsible neighbors and stewards of the critical natural resources in this community, most notably water.

    Our promises to this community and the Renegras Basin is sincere, and we hope you’ll support us as we continue to develop this project. If you have questions or would like to discuss this project further, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Your input is so important as we work together towards a secure energy future that respects our unique desert ecosystem at the same time. 

    Sincerely,

    Jantien Shizuru
    Project Development Manager