Commission Sends Lava Run Transmission Application Back for Local Input
The Arizona Corporation Commission voted to remand the Lava Run interconnection application to the Line Siting Committee so Apache County and the public can provide further input, a move that may delay generation construction. The decision highlights tensions between state transmission authority and local concerns, and it requires Apache County to formally register interest to participate.
At its December 3 regular meeting the Arizona Corporation Commission, by a unanimous five to zero vote, sent the application from CG Apache County Wind LLC and CG Apache County Solar LLC for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility back to the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee. The action concerned the Lava Run Interconnection Project, which would build a 27 mile, 345 kilovolt alternating current transmission line to connect the proposed Lava Run Wind Project rated at 500 megawatts and the Lava Run Solar Project rated at 450 megawatts plus a 450 megawatt battery energy storage system to Tucson Electric Power Company s Springerville 345 kilovolt Substation.
The Commission emphasized that its jurisdiction covers transmission and interconnection but not the generation facilities themselves. Vice Chair Nick Myers explained the remand was intended to give Apache County an opportunity for fuller participation and to address concerns raised by the public. He said, "Community notification is not the same as community engagement. The community needs to be heard, and their concerns need to be properly addressed." The Line Siting Committee previously approved the Certificate by an eight to two vote.
For Apache County residents the decision carries immediate practical effects. Sending the transmission application back to the Line Siting Committee opens additional opportunities for local input but also creates the possibility of a timeline shift for associated generation projects. Developers have indicated the transmission approval is a key step before major construction of the wind and solar facilities can proceed, so further review could delay project milestones and local economic expectations tied to construction activity.
Institutionally the remand underlines a recurring governance question, how state level siting authorities and local jurisdictions share influence over infrastructure with cross jurisdictional impacts. The Commission also formally requested that Apache County file a notice of interest to participate in subsequent proceedings. Filing that notice will be the first concrete step for county officials and residents to secure formal standing in future hearings.
Community members and local officials should watch for announcements from the Line Siting Committee and from Apache County about how to submit comments and appear at hearings, because those interactions will shape the record and influence any revised recommendation on the transmission application.
