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PHOENIX – While monsoon season officially ended Sept. 30, last week’s storms were a reminder that preparing for severe weather is a year-round job. Those same efforts helped Arizona Public Service (APS) keep customers cool, connected and safe this summer while meeting unprecedented energy needs.

“Customers count on us to deliver reliable electricity when it matters most,” said Jacob Tetlow, APS Chief Operating Officer. “Earning that trust requires year-round planning and preparation long before the hottest days, wildfire conditions or monsoon storms arrive. This year, APS employees served record demand, helped safeguard communities from wildfire risk and restored power quickly and safely after strong storms impacted our system.”

Meeting Unprecedented Demand with Reliable Service

APS customers set a fourth consecutive peak energy demand record this summer, reaching 9,166 megawatts at 6:22 p.m. Aug. 2. Long-term planning backed by APS’s ‘all of the above’ approach to generation resources, 24/7 grid operations, and customer programs, helped meet historic energy use throughout the summer season.

APS served customers with reliable energy through a balanced mix of nuclear, natural gas, coal and significant renewable resources, protecting against service disruptions by reducing dependence on any one resource type. Additionally, a record 101,000-plus customer thermostats supported grid reliability through APS Cool Rewards, a smart thermostat demand-response program, and other energy saving initiatives. Together, those programs provided capacity equivalent to the output of a small power plant (about 160 megawatts).

Reducing Wildfire Risk Through Preparedness and Technology

APS advanced its comprehensive wildfire mitigation work during a year when fire risk arrived early in Arizona. The company activated its first Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) in April, temporarily shutting off power in limited areas when extreme fire weather increased the risk to communities. The April PSPS activation helped safeguard roughly 5,800 customers, with a second activation in June protecting approximately 8,000 customers while wildfires burned across the Southwest.

The fire mitigation team used high-definition cameras, advanced fire modeling software and more than 250 weather stations across Arizona to monitor and reduce wildfire risk. APS also expanded its network of artificial intelligence smoke-detection cameras positioned on mountaintops to help identify fires early and support faster coordination with emergency responders. More than 70 AI cameras provide around-the-clock awareness for APS and public safety partners.

Restoring Power Quickly After Monsoon Storms
When monsoon storms arrived, APS crews were ready to respond. Back-to-back days of severe storms in the Phoenix metro area on Aug. 8 and 9 damaged 152 poles. APS sent 45 crews to the hardest hit areas, working quickly and safely to get the lights back on for any customers impacted by the severe weather.

Overall, APS replaced 361 storm-damaged poles throughout the state this summer, above the company’s average of 326 storm-damaged poles since 2015. Preparation before the season – including targeted grid upgrades, strategically staged materials and equipment, predictive maintenance tools, and smart grid technology – helped reduce outage impacts. Crews also strengthened the grid by replacing damaged wood poles with steel poles where possible to build greater resilience against future storms.

“As Arizona’s energy needs continue to grow, safety and reliability remain foundational to everything we do at APS,” Tetlow added. “Our customers are at the center of that work. I’m proud of the preparation our employees put in throughout the year and how they came together to serve customers safely and restore power through summer’s most challenging conditions.”