A new long-planned solar project is set to go up on a 1,200-acre desert site roughly 45 miles to the northeast of Tucson.
What is being called the Ore Town Solar Project belongs to the San Diego-based Avantus company and will see the building of a 145-megawatt solar power plant, along with a 145-megawatt battery energy storage system.
As described in a company website, the “batteries would store electricity generated from the solar panels and deliver clean energy to the grid during periods of high demand.”
The project will be built on a portion of the land designated as the historic San Miguel Copper Mine and owned by the BHP Group Limited, which is headquartered in Australia. That mine launched operations in the early 1940s, before finally ceasing production in 2003.
The site has since been subject to both reclamation as well as demolition, in advance of a revegetation effort.
The project took a significant step forward two weeks ago with a vote by the Pinal County Planning and Zoning Commission to rezone the site.
Avantus has established a reputation as a major developer of solar and energy storage development with, according to its website, a “record of successful development in the southwestern U.S. and California power markets.”
April 28, 2026
By Garry Boulard
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
