Babbitt Ranch Energy Center Praised as National Model in Collaboration

By Bonnie Stevens, FBN

Calling the Babbitt Ranch Energy Center a national model for how successful collaboration can lead to results on the ground, Coconino County officials hosted Congressional staff members, White House representatives and National Association of Counties (NACo) members on a field trip to the site where NextEra Energy Resources is preparing to install wind turbines on Babbitt Ranches north of Flagstaff.

“Babbitt Ranches is one of the most innovative land companies in the United States. It is what innovative land management looks like,” said County Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman to a group of about 50 NACo and federal government representatives on Thursday, June 29. “With its pioneering history, economic impact and vision for the future, Babbitt Ranches has demonstrated creative ways to keep rangelands as open space, keep them intact and keep them profitable.”

Featuring 50 turbines, NextEra’s Babbitt Ranch Project is expected to generate up to 161 megawatts of wind energy. It is estimated that the project will create enough low-cost, homegrown energy to power nearly 40,000 homes and provide millions of dollars in additional tax revenue to Coconino County throughout the life of the project. The wind farm is scheduled to be delivering clean energy to SRP customers in early 2024.

“This is an incredible opportunity for Congressional staffers to see what a project like this looks like,” said NextEra Senior Project Manager Clinton Spencer. “We do what the community wants and what’s the best fit for the land with the most positive benefits and minimum impact. We are thankful to have the county out here supporting the project.”

County Community Development

Assistant Director and Planning Manager Jess McNeely told the group Coconino County is in a perfect location for wind and solar projects. “The county’s Renewable Energy Ordinance promotes utility-scale clean energy projects and we are seeing more renewable energy interest as coal-fired energy generation is shutting down,” he said. “Babbitt Ranches is a wonderful partner in working toward the county’s bigger-picture interests.”

Supervisor Horstman spoke about how values important to Coconino County, such as wildlife conserva-