Navajo County board authorizes chair to sign agreement for 650 MW solar project after decommissioning plan is reconciled
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Summary
The Navajo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize the chair to execute a development agreement with Sygenus LLC for a proposed 650 MW photovoltaic facility and 400 MW battery storage system, contingent on reconciling Exhibit E (the decommissioning plan). The agreement includes a $6 million one-time community benefit and bonding and reclamation commitments.
The Navajo County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize the chair to execute a development agreement with Sygenus LLC for a proposed solar-and-battery facility, contingent on reconciling Exhibit E, the project decommissioning plan.
County manager Brian Layton told the board the site-selection and public-outreach process followed statutory requirements and local ordinance updates that included three listening sessions in Sholo, Heber and Joseph City. Planning manager Cody Cooper said the proposal would encompass up to 650 megawatts of photovoltaic solar generation paired with a 400-megawatt battery energy storage system on roughly 3,700 acres about 10 miles north of Snowflake.
"The development agreement met or exceeded the requirements of the Navajo County Zoning Ordinance," Cooper said, noting setbacks, signage, lighting and wildlife mitigation measures the developer agreed to incorporate, including fencing with 6–8 inch gaps at the bottom to allow small wildlife passage and incorporation of Game and Fish recommendations. Cooper also told the board the developer committed to reclamation bonds posted before construction and refreshed every five years, and a decommissioning standard of 48 inches (4 feet) below grade — deeper than the County's 36-inch standard.
The draft agreement also includes a community benefit package intended to mitigate local impacts. Layton told the board staff and the county assessor had worked with the developer on preliminary property-tax projections and a proposed one-time community benefit payment of $6,000,000; the contract calls for $250,000 paid within 30 days (nonrefundable) and the remainder within 270 days, with the board to allocate funds during the annual budget process.
Buchanan Davis, representing Salt River Project and describing SRP as the proposed offtaker, said utilities are facing rapid load growth and that large-scale solar-plus-storage helps meet near-term demand and grid stability needs. "Solar and battery storage keeps the lights on when demand is high," Davis said, adding the technology can charge when energy is cheap and release it when needed most.
Claire Brophy Bellander, who manages Aztec Land and Cattle's renewables portfolio and said her company is one of two private landowners involved in the project, urged the board to approve the agreement and emphasized that landowner bonding will not permit a salvage-value deduction. "This development agreement is the product of hundreds of hours of public comment and thousands of hours of staff time," she said.
After staff and public comments, the board moved into executive session for legal advice. Returning to open session, a supervisor moved to authorize the chair to execute the agreement after Exhibit E (the decommissioning plan) is reconciled to the agreement text; the motion was seconded and passed by unanimous voice vote.
The authorization directs staff to finalize the developer's decommissioning plan to match the agreement before the chair signs. There was no formal public hearing on the item at this meeting; staff said the development agreement and permitting remain subject to the contract terms and the county's ordinance and external agency reviews.
