Summary:
The applicant, The Rose Law Group, on behalf of EDFR – Beehive Energy Storage, LLC, is requesting the approval of a Minor General Plan Amendment and Rezone to facilitate the development of a new 22 acre Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) site located on Old Carefree Highway, approximately 1.9 miles west of Lake Pleasant Parkway (Exhibit #3).
- General Plan Amendment (Case GPA23-01): Amend the land use designation for the subject site from Estate Residential (0-2 du/ac) and Park / Open Space to Public Use; and
- Rezone (Case Z23-04): Change the zoning for the subject site from General Agriculture (AG) to Beehive Planned Area Development (PAD), subject to stated conditions of approval.
Beehive BESS Development Proposal:
The applicant proposes a 250-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) to be located on the site. A BESS receives electrical energy from the power grid and stores the electricity in a series of batteries until electrical power is needed by the grid, at which time the energy is released back into the power grid for consumption. The facility will consist of approximately 1,500 battery enclosures, 84 inverter / transformers, an interior high-voltage substation, an operations and maintenance (O&M) yard, perimeter access roads, and an interconnect line leading from the internal substation of the BESS to the APS Raceway Substation that is located immediately adjacent to the subject site. The Project will deliver electricity to the grid through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with a power offtake entity.
Site Location and Context:
The site consists of approximately 22 acres of vacant land, located along Old Carefree Highway, about 1.9 miles west of Lake Pleasant Parkway. The site is east of the Agua Fria River and immediately south of the 230-kilovolt APS Raceway Substation. The substation feeds the overhead transmission line located to the east of the site, which in itself provides separation from the broader area, of which the vast majority is State Trust land. Old Carefree Highway is a city right-of-way and would need to be upgraded in conjunction with this proposal.
Minor General Plan Amendment (Case GPA23-01):
Currently, the vast majority of the site is designated Estate Residential, a category that is intended to facilitate large residential lots at a density of 0 to 2 dwelling units per acre. A small portion of the site is designated as Park/Open Space, the boundary of which loosely follows a small wash located along the site’s western edge. The applicant is proposing to re-designate the site to Public Use, a classification suitable for these types of utility facilities.
Rezone (Case Z23-04):
The site is currently zoned General Agriculture (AG), which allows certain uses that are mostly agrarian or rural in nature; however, battery energy storage systems (BESS) is not a permitted use within the existing AG Zoning District. The applicant is proposing a Planned Area Development (PAD) zoning district that contains narrowly tailored development standards and operational requirements that are designed to be compatible with the surrounding area, while accommodating a use that is not yet specifically contemplated by the City of Peoria Zoning Ordinance.
Circulation and Access:
Primary access to the site is from Old Carefree Highway which is designated as a future Collector roadway at this location. That portion of Old Carefree Highway extending from Lake Pleasant Parkway to a point approximately ½ mile east of the site is currently paved; however, from that point westward, the road is unpaved. The applicant will extend the paving of Old Carefree Highway from the aforementioned end of pavement to the project entrance. All roads leading to and within the site will be all-weather capable of supporting 75,000 pounds which is the required load for fire service vehicles. From Old Carefree Highway, there are two (2) separate points of access into the site. Additionally, a perimeter looped road located outside of the perimeter wall will provide access around the site. During the site plan application process, the applicant has committed to work with the City and APS to explore an additional point of access to the site.
Topography and Site Features
The site generally slopes from the northeast to the southwest. Located at the northeast corner of the site is a hillside area, which will be preserved as Natural Open Space, as will the majority of the wash located along the site’s western boundary.
Public Safety:
Public Safety representatives have been consulted and heavily involved in the review of this application. As a result of that on-going dialog, additional Conditions of Approval were added after the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting to provide further clarity and precision to the safety and operational design parameters associated with the new facility. All parties have concurred with the revised Conditions of Approval as identified within Exhibit 1.
The facility will be equipped with fire detection/suppression systems within each enclosure, including photoelectric smoke detectors which will be monitored remotely 24/7. The City has proposed additional language in the Ordinance requiring monitoring capabilities to be augmented with cameras. The facility will also be designed and built in compliance with the latest edition of National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) 855, which provides safety thresholds for a commercial BESS facility of this size. Additionally, the applicant will work with the Peoria Fire-Medical Department on a Hazard Mitigation Analysis, Emergency Operations Plan and Plume Study with the next phase of design, or more specifically with the Site Plan Review application. The Emergency Operations Plan will be required to be updated regularly and provided annually to the Peoria Fire-Medical Department. The Decommissioning Plan will need to be prepared and submitted to the Peoria Fire-Medical Department if there are any changes to the equipment on site.
While the Project will not include any restrooms that require water and wastewater services, the applicant intends to utilize groundwater wells on site until municipal services are available to the site, at which time a connection will be required. The on-site well will be used to recharge a water tank of 32,000 gallons (or an alternative volume as identified by the Peoria Fire-Medical Department) to be located on site for fire suppression as needed. During site construction, the Applicant will either transport water by truck or install a temporary pipeline allowing the transport of Central Arizona Project (CAP) water to the project site.
The perimeter of the facility will be secured with a masonry wall not to exceed ten (10) feet in height. The wall will incorporate viewports to allow the site’s interior to be surveilled by public safety personnel in the event of an emergency. The applicant has stated that the project will be owned and maintained for the entire planned operational lifespan of 20 to 25 years. The permanent operations will entail EDFR-contracted personnel to maintain and run the facility over the operational lifespan. The Project will require up to a four-person crew for maintenance visits twice a month on average.
Public Notice:
The case was properly noticed pursuant to Section 21-315 of the Peoria Zoning Ordinance, which includes notification to all property owners within 600 feet of the site and registered HOAs within one (1) mile, posting of a sign on the site, and placing an ad in the Peoria Times at least 17 days prior to the Public Hearing. As a requirement of the General Plan Amendment and Rezoning application processes, the applicant conducted a neighborhood meeting and provided a Citizen Participation Report detailing the results of the meeting. The applicant notified all property owners within a 600-foot radius of the site and all registered Homeowners’ Associations within one (1) mile for the required neighborhood meeting.
The neighborhood meeting was held on April 18, 2023 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at WestWing Elementary School. One (1) neighboring property owner was in attendance at the meeting, in addition to the development team for the project, and City staff. The applicant presented the details of the proposed project to the attendees. The neighboring property owner identified that they were in support of the proposal and would like to stay apprised of any future hearings for the proposal.
At the time of this writing, The City has received one (1) Letter of Support for the request and no letters of opposition. The letter is from an adjacent business owner that attended the neighborhood meeting.