Shaping Arizona’s Energy Future Through Sustainable Hydropower

Jacobs has secured a contract to lead a pivotal Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Salt River Project, a major step toward shaping Arizona’s energy and environmental future.

Salt River Project (SRP) is evaluating a new pumped storage hydropower facility to complement Apache Lake on the Salt River, which is home to diverse wildlife and some of the state’s most popular recreation locations. This innovative project will involve the construction of a new reservoir to serve as the upper reservoir, along with additional transmission infrastructure to connect to SRP’s existing 500-kilovolt (kV) Coronado-Silver King transmission line.

Building on our existing relationship with SRP, Jacobs will assess the environmental impacts of the ambitious project. Since 2016, we’ve worked with SRP on numerous efforts, including a comprehensive master plan, long range facility master plan, various environmental, biological, and cultural resources on-call task orders, and permitting support on other key projects.

For the new pumped storage hydropower facility, Jacobs will develop an EIS that meets the requirements of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Forest Service and several other regulatory agencies. The project will deliver innovative solutions to key resource challenges in the area, including cultural, visual, biological resources and recreation.

“Considering environmental factors during infrastructure development is crucial to mitigating adverse effects on ecosystems, preserving cultural and recreational assets, and delivering sustainable projects that meet regulatory standards,” says Jacobs Global Environmental Market Director Chrissy Thom. “We’ve helped clients worldwide navigate environmental and agency reviews of utility and infrastructure projects, identifying potential impacts and delivering comprehensive solutions. With SRP, we’ll leverage this experience to advance its hydropower infrastructure.”