MOBILE — Two more solar farms are in the works in ZIP 85139, but some rural residents aren’t thrilled about finding their homes in the middle of these projects.  

More than a dozen Mobile residents last night vocalized their opposition to the proposed Rainbow Valley Energy and Prism Solar Technologies projects along Fulcar Road on the western cusp of Hidden Valley.

The projects straddle the Maricopa-Pinal County line and would sit just 2 miles from the 1,100-acre Copia Power solar farm approved last year near Hidden Valley and Val Vista Roads.  

Combined, the Rainbow Valley and Prism solar harvesting and storage projects would annually bring 300 megawatts of electricity to the state. That’s enough to power every home in Maricopa three times over.

Copia Power would add another 200 megawatts of power to the grid.  

Mark Hindle, who lives on a property just north of the project, was not swayed by such numbers. At the community meeting at Mobile Elementary School last night, he called the developments “unacceptable.”

“Put your house in the middle of it. Would you want that?” he asked. “We don’t, but our little community is going to be in the middle of all three of them.”

According to Rose Law Group, a Pinal County law firm representing developer EDF Power Solutions, the two projects would be a “major investment” for the Mobile community. Besides the elementary school and a landfill, there’s little else in the neighborhood, population 102.

“It’s a lot of construction jobs,” said real estate attorney Henry Hardy. He estimated the solar projects would bring $14 million in tax benefits for Mobile Elementary.

“And then, of course, tax revenues for Goodyear as well,” he said.

Locals like Suzanne Forward feel closer to Maricopa’s Hidden Valley than Goodyear, the Phoenix suburb 50 miles away that has slowly but surely been annexing Mobile.

Forward, like many others, is skeptical.

She lives a couple of miles away from the proposed solar complex and said while she sees the need for more energy, she’s unsure spoiling unscathed desert land is worth the promised benefits.

“We’re curious how it’s going to impact the things we enjoy out here: the views, the wildlife, the lack of traffic. I can’t see it producing much traffic, but who knows,” she said. “The school is supposed to be getting a certain amount of money, but people here have been promised things in the past and never saw the money or improvements.” 

Dennis Hudson also doubted the community would prosper as a solar hub. His family has lived in the area since the 1920s and he said he’s seen enough promised money or improvements fall through. 

“There’s no guarantee. In the past, we had an ore refinery that wanted to do something,” he said. “There’s been people coming out regularly to rape the community.” 

However, EDF Power Solutions said it’s ready to press ahead.  

“We’re working with the city [of Goodyear] to make sure the community is taken care of, as well as address any design concerns the city would have,” Hardy said. “We’re going to work over the summer, and we’ll probably have a better idea over the next couple months about the final timeline.” 

According to documents provided by Rose Law Group and EDF Power Solutions, the project is slated for approval by Goodyear City Council in the fall, followed by construction beginning in 2027.