The Navajo County Board of Supervisors has executed a Development Agreement with SE Cygnus for the development and operation of a 650-megawatt solar energy facility located 10 miles north of Snowflake, on privately owned land.
State and federal law provide incentives intended to encourage renewable energy development in Arizona. In recent years, those statutory incentives, combined with regional transmission access and available private land, have resulted in increased interest in renewable energy projects within Navajo County.
Under Arizona law, counties have limited authority to deny lawful uses of private property when proposed projects comply with adopted zoning and land-use regulations. If the project meets the requirements of the county’s adopted zoning code, state law does not allow the county to deny based on opposition to the type of land use alone.
“Arizona law is clear that private property rights are fundamental and counties may not arbitrarily restrict lawful land uses,” said Supervisor Daryl Seymore, chairman of the Navajo County Board of Supervisors. “The board’s responsibility is not to decide whether renewable energy is a good or bad industry, but to apply the ordinance and ensure that it is applied consistently to every landowner.”
The SE Cygnus Development Agreement follows months of public engagement and a comprehensive update to the county’s Comprehensive Plan and Renewable Energy Ordinance. That update incorporated preferred siting criteria and development standards based directly on public input. Outreach efforts included multiple community listening sessions throughout Navajo County, an online public comment portal, and public comment periods that exceeded statutory requirements.
County staff conducted a detailed technical review and confirmed that the project meets or exceeds all applicable ordinance requirements, including dark-sky-compliant lighting, wildlife-friendly fencing, environmental review standards, verified road impacts and setbacks, and financial security bonding that requires full removal of solar panels and site reclamation at the end of the project’s operational life.
The project is expected to generate significant long-term property tax revenues for local public services, including approximately:
* $20 million for the Holbrook and Snowflake school districts.
* $5.5 million for Northland Pioneer College.
* $783,000 for the Flood Control District.
* $718,000 for the Public Health District
* $286,000 for the Library District.
$158,000 for the Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology, also known as NAVIT, Career and Technical Education District.
These revenues will support education, workforce training, public safety, health services, infrastructure and library services throughout the life of the facility.
To address anticipated short-term impacts associated with construction activity and temporary workforce housing, SE Cygnus has also committed to a one-time $6 million mitigation contribution. These funds are intended to support local mitigation strategies, including assistance for fire and EMS services and other impacted public infrastructure.
For more information about the Development Agreement and Navajo County’s renewable energy review process, visit www.navajocountyaz.gov/754/Renewable-Energy-Ordinance-Updates or follow the county on social media @navajocountyaz.
