Public Records Detail Notification Process for Desert Rainbow Solar Project
Public records show attendees had the opportunity to ask project representatives questions directly during a community meeting for the proposed Desert Rainbow Solar Project.
We’re learning more today about the proposed Desert Rainbow Solar Project in Goodyear.
We’ll outline public outreach and questions raised by attendees in a moment. But first, newly released records offer additional insight into how the project was introduced to city staff and framed as part of Goodyear’s broader economic development conversation.
Public records show project representatives contacted Goodyear economic development staff April 8th requesting a meeting and sharing an economic impact analysis prepared by the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) that had been submitted as part of the Special Use Permit application. In the correspondence, the applicant described Desert Rainbow as a proposed utility-scale solar and battery storage project on approximately 5,000 acres south of Estrella and stated the analysis projected approximately $43.6 million in direct tax revenue to Goodyear over 30 years (combined solar and BESS).
The Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) maintains a dedicated climate technology initiative highlighting the region’s role in clean energy, battery storage and sustainability industries. GPEC promotes Greater Phoenix as a competitive location for climate technology development, citing abundant sunshine, infrastructure reliability and lower operating costs compared to peer markets.
View the GPEC Website Here
As Axios Phoenix reported in 2024, Arizona has emerged as a growing destination for climate technology research, development and testing amid increased global focus on sustainability. The report noted several factors frequently cited in recruitment efforts: Arizona has the nation’s second-highest solar energy potential, one of the country’s most reliable electric grids and operating costs reported to be up to 28% lower than competing markets.
That backdrop helps position Arizona as a destination for large-scale energy and infrastructure projects as communities continue debating how growth, land use and development should evolve.
Desert Rainbow Outreach and Notification Timeline
Records obtained from the City of Goodyear show coordination related to the proposed Desert Rainbow Solar Project dates back to at least January 2026, including references to an initial meeting held January 12th.
A February 2026 email shows city staff notifying another department that a Special Use Permit application was being processed for a utility-scale solar project in South Goodyear and sharing project materials for review.
In March 2026, emails show the applicant explored hosting a community meeting at Goodyear City Hall. City staff noted the meeting was not required because there was no residential development within the city’s standard 500-foot notification area.
The same email chain shows the applicant discussed expanding the notification area and estimated mailed notice would reach approximately 100 unique property owners. The meeting was planned as an open-house format using poster boards.
Records indicate a notification letter was later sent on March 30, 2026.
The public records also included what appears to be a notification list showing mail outreach extended beyond Goodyear and included a mix of roughly 200+ individual property owners, family trusts, LLCs, businesses and government entities. Addresses shown in the records span multiple West Valley communities and other Arizona cities, with some recipients located outside Arizona.
The City of Goodyear also added the event to its website.
The community meeting was held April 14, 2026, at Goodyear City Hall. According to the submitted meeting report, approximately 10 members of the public attended and nine signed in. Although, one document shows 6 names as signed in.
According to the applicant’s community meeting report, attendees raised questions about where the project’s electricity would go and whether data centers were connected to the proposal. Attendees also asked about visual impacts, decommissioning and whether funding would be available to restore the site at the end of the project’s life, potential heat and groundwater impacts from solar panels, effects on wildlife and predator movement, project timing and construction phasing, ownership of the land, transmission routes, road access and how close project infrastructure would be to surrounding properties.
Important points in this document:
“The development team explained that AES was an owner/operator of their projects and that they have bonds that ensure the funds were present when decommissioning of the site was required.”
“Multiple attendees questioned where the Project boundary and panels would be located in relation to the Project. The development team reviewed their properties and showed how Waterman Wash and the associated Special Flood Hazard Area setbacks would provide increased distance from the Project to their homes.”
“The development team explained that the property was currently privately owned but that the applicant was in escrow to purchase the property.”
“The development team explained that the solar panels are sealed, and that solar panels do not pose a contamination risk to groundwater.”
“The development team explained that studies have indicated no significant “heat-island effect” from their solar facilities. The Ohio Department of Public Health has found ‘information to date does not indicate a public health burden from heat generated by PV panels or from the heat island effect.’”
“The development team explained that they had conducted multiple meetings/discussions with Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) regarding the design of the Project, and that these implemented features would minimize potential negative effects on existing wildlife.”
*Many of the questions raised during the community meeting - including those about wildlife - were also addressed by AES in my previous reporting on the proposed Desert Rainbow Solar Project.
Finally, in June 2026, correspondence shows the applicant requested a public Planning and Zoning hearing be rescheduled to a later date, potentially in August 2026.
This Week in Goodyear
Goodyear’s Planning & Zoning Commission is set to discuss proposed updates to the city’s zoning ordinance, including potential standards for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), data centers, public noticing requirements, and additional modernization efforts.
View the Agenda Here
Wednesday, June 10th • 6:00 p.m. • Goodyear City Hall
For reference only, the proposed zoning ordinance draft identifies a 600-foot notification radius and a minimum 15-day notice period for public hearings involving Zoning Map Amendments under Section 6.13.2.
“With the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council feedback, staff and consultants will finalize the draft of the Zoning Ordinance. The comprehensive update is expected to be presented to the Planning Commission on July 1, 2026, for a recommendation and to the City Council on July 6, 2026, for approval.”
Goodyear City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission have each already held at least one public work session discussing proposed regulations for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), including presentations in March 2026.
Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) also provided an annual update regarding local and regional development activity and initiatives on March 9, 2026.
City staff and project representatives are welcome to provide additional context or clarification as the review process continues.