Abengoa Solar

Paloma Solar Plant

Gila Bend, Arizona

Services Provided:  Civil Engineering, Storm Water Management, Land Planning

Project Description: The Paloma Solar Plant is a 17-megawatt photovoltaic facility that will be built on the site of a former alfalfa farm in Gila Bend, Ariz. Over 50% of the site was located on an unmapped flood plain. Gila Bend is also home to Solana, a concentrating solar plant being built by Abengoa Solar.

CVL assisted the client through all aspects of permitting, remote location, right of way acquisition — preparing the preliminary and final drainage master plan, grading construction plans, and offsite roadway improvements. As a result of CVL’s efforts, the flood plain was accurately determined and a flood mitigation design was implemented to remove 90% of the flood plain.  Permits for this project also included temporary construction trailers, water and septic disposal facilities and demolition plans.

Hoodoo Wash

Utility Substations

Yuma County, Arizona

Services Provided:  Civil Engineering, Storm Water Management

Project Description: APS and San Diego Gas & Electric Company sought a new regional switchyard near Dateland, Ariz., in order to connect a solar generation project to an existing 500kV transmission system operated by APS. The switchyard is located on the Palomas Plain, north of Interstate-8, in the Hoodoo Wash.

For this project, CVL contracted with a general contractor to prepare site civil improvement plans.  Project improvement plans included site plan, onsite and offsite drainage report, grading and drainage plans, offsite access paving plans, paving plans with the Arizona Department of Transportation, traffic control plans, fence plans, and a storm water pollution prevention plan (SWPPP).  CVL designed the APS site to be elevated 4 feet, raising it above the existing flood plain.  Storm water for this site is not retained or detained within the APS site but rather in an adjacent, offsite detention basin.  The construction plan package was submitted and approved for permit through Yuma County six weeks ahead of schedule. A dozen nearly identical projects have been completed by CVL across the continent.

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