The Tucson Airport Authority (TAA) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) will be coming together for a second time since 2007 for the installation of a solar energy project. TAA’s board of directors approved a 20-year land lease with TEP, where TEP will pay a fixed rental rate of US$46,716.50 per year to lease 50 acres of land south of the Tucson International Airport.
The leased land will have a 5MW solar PV array built upon it with Solon acting as the contractor and suppler of the solar modules. The lease calls for two five-year options with the single-axis tracking solar PV system expected to start operation by the end of 2011.
“This is really a triple win for Tucson,” said Bonnie Allin, TAA president and CEO. “The project is a compatible use for airport property, it is adjacent to a major power distribution site for TEP, and will generate power for residents in Pima County.”
