Arizona: every permit portal for solar, wind, and storage
The quick find: which office handles each approval a utility-scale project touches in Arizona, with the agency's own page. Counties and cities add their own land-use approvals; the state table is the part that is the same across the state.
County-by-county detail for Arizona: proposed projects and contacts by county.
State and grid
| Approval | Where to go |
|---|---|
| State siting or certificateWhether the state itself approves where a generating facility goes, or leaves it to counties and cities. | Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting CommitteeArizona Corporation CommissionCertificate of Environmental Compatibility required for plants of 100 MW or more and 115 kV+ lines (A.R.S. 40-360). Program landing page; H1 'Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee'. Old /line-siting-committee child page still appears in search results but 404s. |
| Grid interconnectionThe queue the project enters to connect: the regional grid operator, or the utility and public utility commission outside an RTO. | FERC Generator InterconnectionsArizona Public ServiceAPS large generator interconnection process under its OATT; Arizona is outside an RTO. |
| Construction stormwater permitNPDES coverage for land disturbance of one acre or more, before earthwork starts. | AZPDES Construction General Permit not script-checkableArizona Department of Environmental Quality · the agency's site blocks automated checks, so the link is as researched, not machine-confirmedAZPDES construction stormwater general permit and NOI filing for one acre or more of disturbance. |
| Historic preservation reviewSection 106 consultation through the State Historic Preservation Office when a federal permit, federal funding or federal land is involved; many states add their own review on state land. | SHPO Consultation on Historic Preservation Compliance not script-checkableArizona State Historic Preservation Office · the agency's site blocks automated checks, so the link is as researched, not machine-confirmedSection 106 and State Historic Preservation Act project consultation procedures. |
| Wildlife and habitat reviewThe state wildlife agency's project screening or natural-heritage data request; federal species go through USFWS IPaC. | Project Evaluation Program not script-checkableArizona Game and Fish Department · the agency's site blocks automated checks, so the link is as researched, not machine-confirmedAZGFD environmental review of proposed projects, including the Online Environmental Review Tool for heritage data screening. |
| State road access and utility permitsA driveway onto a state highway, and a gen-tie or cable in state right of way. | Encroachment Permits not script-checkableArizona Department of Transportation · the agency's site blocks automated checks, so the link is as researched, not machine-confirmedADOT encroachment permits for driveways, access and utility installations in state highway right-of-way. |
| Floodplain (state NFIP coordinator)Local floodplain development permits are county or city; the state coordinator lists who administers them. | Engineering Division (Flood Mitigation) not script-checkableArizona Department of Water Resources · the agency's site blocks automated checks, so the link is as researched, not machine-confirmedADWR Engineering Division houses the state floodplain management and NFIP coordination function. |
| Water rights and wellsConstruction water, dust control and O&M wells: the state engineer, water board or environmental agency. | Wells not script-checkableArizona Department of Water Resources · the agency's site blocks automated checks, so the link is as researched, not machine-confirmedWell permitting and Notice of Intent to drill requirements for construction and operations water supply. |
| Property-tax incentive programState abatement or exemption programs for renewable generation, where one exists. | Renewable Energy Equipment Property Tax FormArizona Department of RevenueCentrally valued renewable energy equipment is assessed at 20 percent of depreciated cost under A.R.S. 42-14155. |
Federal portals (the same in every state)
| Approval | Where to go |
|---|---|
| Clean Water Act Section 404 / Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10 | U.S. Army Corps of EngineersRegulatory Request System: applications, pre-application meetings and jurisdictional determinations; the district office is by watershed. |
| Endangered species and critical habitat | U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceIPaC: official species list and the Section 7 consultation path for the project footprint. |
| Tall structures (wind turbines, met towers) | Federal Aviation AdministrationForm 7460-1 notice through OE/AAA before construction above the 14 CFR 77.9 heights. |
| Construction stormwater where EPA is the permitting authority | U.S. EPAEPA's Construction General Permit (NeT eNOI) in New Mexico, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, D.C., Indian country and the territories. |
| Projects on federal land | Bureau of Land ManagementRight-of-way applications and NEPA documents for BLM-managed land. |
| Transmission and wholesale market rules | Federal Energy Regulatory CommissionOrder No. 2023 cluster-study reforms, followed by every FERC-jurisdictional transmission provider, RTO or utility; ERCOT has its own process. |
County and city pages for Arizona
From the nationwide permit finder; counties and cities issue most land-use approvals, so start with the jurisdiction that covers the parcel.
- Arizona — Water permitting programs (State): Arizona environmental authority. Start with this agency for the linked water program. Check construction stormwater, wastewater and water-quality approvals separately; this link does not cover every environmental permit.
- Arizona — Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee (State): Arizona energy / siting authority. Confirm technology, project size, location and the current state-versus-local approval pathway with this authority.
- Arizona — local government contacts (City & local): State government / local-government association. Locate the relevant government using this directory; some directories list only cities or only counties. Confirm municipal boundaries and any separate fire, drainage, water or other district authority.
- Maricopa County — permit directory (County): Maricopa County. Planning, flood control, air quality, environmental and road permits; issuing departments have different jurisdictions.
Other states
How this list is made. Each link was found on the agency's own site and is re-checked by a script that loads it and records the date; a link that stops answering is shown without a link rather than dropped. Programs change with each legislative session: confirm fees, forms and thresholds on the agency page before filing. General information, not legal advice. How we check our data · Report an error.