Arizona Building Trades Council News Update

Project Expected to Create up to 300 Construction Jobs in Arizona and Employ Innovative Technologies that Increase Reliability and Energy Production

Washington D.C. --- U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the offer of a conditional commitment for a $359.1 million loan guarantee to Mesquite Solar 1, LLC to support the development of a photovoltaic solar generating project. The optimized 150 megawatt (MW) alternating current (AC) photovoltaic (PV) solar generation project is sponsored by Sempra Generation and will be located in Maricopa County, Arizona, approximately 45 miles west of Phoenix. Sempra Generation estimates the project will create up to 300 construction jobs and 7-10 full time operating jobs.

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Benson OKs rezoning for proposed solar farm

May 25, 2011

SAN PEDRO VALLEY NEWS-SUN

BENSON - A collective sigh of relief from Benson's business community could be heard across City Hall Monday evening.

In a 6-to-1 vote, the Benson City Council approved a rezoning recommendation from residential to light industrial on a 2,500 acre property south of Benson. The parcel, owned by Ernie Graves, includes four sections of land that he hopes to sell to developers for the purpose of a 200-megawatt solar farm and one million square foot data center.

Councilman Al Sacco voted against the rezoning, stating that he wanted more information about the proposed project and potential impacts it could have on the area and surrounding properties.

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Mayo Clinic has started construction on new building, planning a second new structure
June 6, 2011
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOENIX - The Mayo Clinic's hospital campus in northeast Phoenix has started construction on a new building and planning for a second building.

The first building is what officials describe as a much-needed addition to accommodate educational meetings and other conferences.

The Arizona Republic reports that construction began the first of the year, and exterior construction will be completed in June. Interior finishes will require another year.

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Gilbert moves forward with innovative and cost-saving solar power project at wastewater reclamation facility
Gilbertaz.gov

The Gilbert Town Council approved a solar power purchase agreement back in November of 2010 in a move to support a unique and innovative project that will use solar energy to power the Neely Wastewater Reclamation Plant.

The project, a partnership with SPG Solar, will generate about 44 percent of the electrical needs for the facility, and will offer Gilbert taxpayers reduced utility costs at the facility. The solar panels will be located over the beds now used to recharge water back into underground aquifers.

The $10 million solar project will be constructed in April 2011 at no cost to taxpayers and SPG Solar will be responsible for maintanence. The purchase agreement is expected to allow the Town to receive a 20-year fixed price for the utility.

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Arizona State University's West campus
will build residence hall

Jun. 14, 2011

ASU logo

The Arizona Republic

Starting in 2012, freshmen entering Arizona State University's West campus will be expected to live in a new residence hall, eat in a new dining room and leave their commuting habits behind.

It will be one of the largest transformations yet for a campus that opened to upper-classmen more than 25 years ago on the Phoenix-Glendale boundary. The only dormitory on campus today is an apartment-style building created for older students, complete with kitchenettes for home meals.

ASU President Michael Crow is expected to launch construction of the new "academic village" at the West campus at a groundbreaking Wednesday.

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SOLON and UniSource to Bring Milestone 1.22 MW Solar Power Plant to Kingman, Arizona
June 14, 2011
Businesswire.com

1.22 MW Single-axis Tracker System at La Senita Elementary School will be Largest PV System on Arizona School Property

TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SOLON Corporation, one of the largest providers of turnkey solar power plants and manufacturer of crystalline silicon solar modules in the U.S., today announced an agreement with UniSource Energy Services (UES) that will bring a 1.22 megawatt (MW) solar system to Kingman, Arizona. Powered by SOLON systems and modules, the plant will provide a faster, more cost-effective way for UES to integrate solar power into its renewable energy portfolio for Kingman residents.

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Gracie's Village to be redeveloped in Tempe
June 16, 2011
Gracie's Village rendering Phoenix Business Journal

A Wisconsin developer plans to take on the complete redevelopment of a 60-year-old storefront where Grace Community Church of the Valley currently operates a thrift store.

Gracie's Village in Tempe is a public-private partnership between Gorman & Co. and Grace Community Church. Also involved are the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Arizona Department of Housing and the city of Tempe.

The nearly 100,000-square-foot project, scheduled to break ground in March 2012, will include a mix of ground-floor community facilities and a new thrift store, plus 74 units of affordable housing on five floors above the shop.

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NAU parking garage for 1,400 cars to cost $30 million

June 17, 2011
AZdailysun.com

The Arizona Board of Regents approved two new construction projects for Northern Arizona University Thursday.

The regents, meeting in Flagstaff, approved a new parking garage on San Francisco Street. Work is scheduled to begin in September and be complete in August 2012.

The $30 million, six-story garage, between the bookstore and Sechrist Hall, will accommodate about 1,400 cars. University officials had considered private financing for the structure but determined that the university could save $1.6 million to $6 million by funding the project through bonding instead.

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Officials in talks to bring aircraft manufacturer to Prescott
airplane June 18, 2011
The Daily Courier

The City of Prescott has a shot at landing an aircraft manufacturing company that would mean hundreds of jobs to the tri-city area.

Earlier this week, Mayor Marlin Kuykendall, Ken Keith, the owner of Extra Aircraft, Gov. Jan Brewer and Don Cardon, president and chief executive officer of the Arizona Commerce Authority, met in Phoenix about the possibility of bringing the Germany-based manufacturer here.

"It would really give our airport the shot in the arm that we need because we're looking at a whole new business plan for the airport, and this component would really set the stage for some of our future," Kuykendall said.

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San Diego Gas and Electric adds 235 MW of solar power to its portfolio
June 20, 2011
PennEnergy.com

San Diego, June 20, 2011 - San Diego Gas & Electric signed two new renewable contracts - one with a unit of San Diego-based enXco and the other with Arlington Valley Solar Energy II, for a combined total capacity of up to 237 MW of solar energy.

The Catalina Solar project to be developed by enXco will have the capacity to generate up to 110 MW from the sun, starting with delivery of 50 MW by the end of next year and the remaining 60 MW by June 2013.

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Pima County Board of Supervisors approves FRV's 25MW Arizona system
June 22, 2011
PVTech.org

The Pima County Board of Supervisors has voted unanimously to approve Fotowatio Renewable Ventures' (FRV) planned solar system in Avra Valley, Arizona. When completed, the 25MW array will be Tucson Electric Power's (TEP) largest single source of solar energy.

In addition to owning the system, FRV is also taking charge of its development and operation; building work will start in autumn and finish in April 2012. TEP has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement to buy all of the electricity produced at the 305-acre site.

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KONECRANES SIGNS MODERNIZATION CONTRACT WITH PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION
June 22, 2011
Cisionwire.com

Konecranes was in May awarded a contract to modernize and thereby improve the safety and reliability of three (3) existing 225/35 ton polar cranes at the Arizona Public Service, Palo Verde Nuclear Generation Station. The first cranes will be installed in the fall of 2014 and the last in June 2015. The parties have agreed not to disclose the value of the order.

The Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station®, located in the Arizona desert approximately almost 90 kilometers west of downtown Phoenix, has since 1992 been the largest power producer of any kind in the United States.

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Fotowatio To Build 25 MW PV Project In Arizona
June 23, 2011
Solar Industry

The board of supervisors of Pima County, Ariz., has voted unanimously to approve the construction of a 25 MW photovoltaic array in Avra Valley that will become Tucson Electric Power's (TEP) largest single source of solar energy, the utility has announced.

The system will be built, owned and operated by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures on 305 acres of former farmland, and TEP will purchase all of the energy the system produces under a 20-year power purchase agreement.

Construction will begin this fall, and the system is scheduled to be completed by April 2012.

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Phoenix to get multimillion-dollar biomedical-data project
Jun. 23, 2011
Arizona Republic News

The Barrister Place Building downtown and the Phoenix Sky Harbor Center will become the home of a multimillion-dollar data center and bioscience hub that will link disjointed sectors of the health-care industry to more efficiently care for patients and develop medical breakthroughs.

The Phoenix City Council on Wednesday struck a deal with an organization headed by health-care visionary Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong to bring the supercomputer project to Phoenix.

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