As record setting heat impacted Arizona and surrounding states, APS customers set a new all-time peak energy demand record on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026 using 9,164 megawatts (MW) between 6 and 7 p.m., according to preliminary figures. One MW of energy is enough to serve about 160 Arizona homes.

Peak demand is the period of time when customer energy use is at its highest. The new peak surpasses the previous record of 9,053 MW, set on July 24, 2026.

Despite the increased demand driven by continued extreme temperatures across Arizona, APS maintained reliable service for customers. APS’s balanced energy mix, regional market access, generating resources and operational preparedness enabled APS to meet customer needs while maintaining appropriate reserves. "Arizona's hottest summer days are when preparation matters most," said Tim Rusert, APS Director of Power Supply Resources. "Successfully serving this level of demand is the result of deliberate planning, ongoing investments and the year-round work of APS employees who maintain and operate APS's electric grid. Those preparations enabled us to successfully meet customer energy needs during this period of sustained high temperatures.”

Additional information about APS's preparation for periods of high energy demand is available in the July 27 news release.

As sustained high summer temperatures pushed energy use to a new high late last week, Arizona Public Service (APS) customers counted on reliable power to keep homes, businesses and air conditioners running. And APS delivered, as customers set a new all-time peak energy demand record on Friday, July 24, 2026, using 9,053 megawatts (MW) between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., according to preliminary figures. The previous record was set Aug. 7, 2025, when APS customers’ energy use hit a peak of 8,648 MW. One MW of energy is enough to serve about 160 Arizona homes. 

As high temperatures impact many parts of the country, the U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order on July 26 directing the deployment of backup generation resources in a number of states to ensure grid reliability. The order does not apply to Arizona Public Service and does not impact APS customers. APS has sufficient generation and reserves to serve our customers throughout the state. 

APS provides top-tier reliable service to customers throughout the year, supported by investments, years of planning and year-round preparation to keep the lights on and air conditioners running during Arizona’s hottest days. Ensuring this level of reliability requires proactive infrastructure maintenance, grid upgrades, resource planning and power plant readiness that strengthen the reliability and resiliency of the electrical system. 

APS crews, supported by a team of meteorologists and other experts, regularly inspect, maintain and upgrade critical infrastructure, prepare equipment and generating resources for periods of high demand, and train year-round for storms and emergencies. Together, these efforts ensure customers have safe, reliable power when they need it most. 

Peak demand is the period of time when customer energy use is at its highest. This is the fourth consecutive year APS customers have set a peak energy use record, reflecting continued growth across Arizona as more people move here, new businesses open and the economy expands. This growth requires APS to invest more than $2.5 billion a year in upgrades, operations and maintenance of the electrical system to provide customers with top-tier reliability. 

APS is strengthening Arizona's energy future with a balanced mix of resources designed to support reliability while meeting growing energy demand. Flexible natural gas generation helps APS integrate more solar, wind and energy storage on the grid, ensuring energy is available when customers need it most, especially during Arizona's hottest days. Nuclear energy also remains a critical component of APS's portfolio, supported by ongoing investments in Palo Verde Generating Station and the continued evaluation of future nuclear generation opportunities.

Arizona Public Service (APS) announced plans today to develop a site west of Gila Bend, Ariz., capable of adding up to 2,000 megawatts (MW) of reliable, flexible generation to the state’s energy portfolio. The Desert Sun Power Plant will be a state-of-the-art natural gas facility designed to meet Arizona’s rapidly growing needs, support unprecedented demand from extra-large energy users and enhance integration of renewable energy resources – all while protecting affordability for residential and small business customers.

This two-phase project will support current customer growth through our competitive procurement process in Phase 1 and enable new extra-large customer investments via an innovative subscription model in Phase 2.

“Arizona’s energy needs are growing faster than at any time in our history,” said Jacob Tetlow, APS Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “Additional natural gas generation is essential to support our existing customers and to begin addressing unprecedented requests from extra-large energy users, such as data centers. By pursuing a ‘growth pays for growth’ strategy, this project protects customers while supporting data centers needed for the U.S. to compete globally.”

The proposed subscription model ensures that Phase 2 would be paid for by the extra-large customers who would use it – not by existing residential or business customers. Extra-large users would sign long-term contracts covering the capital costs and assuming development risks.

How residential and small business customers benefit from this plan

By having extra-large energy users fund a portion of the plant’s capacity through long-term subscription agreements, APS can accelerate infrastructure development without shifting costs to existing customers.

This approach:

• Helps protect and maintain fair prices for all customers.
• Safeguards reliable service around-the-clock, even when energy use is highest.
• Strengthens Arizona’s energy grid and transmission infrastructure.
• Supports a balanced energy portfolio that includes nuclear, solar, wind, battery storage, natural gas and coal.

“Phase 1 will support all customers, helping to meet spikes in demand – such as those on hot summer afternoons – and keeping electricity flowing when renewable power from solar and wind isn’t available,” Tetlow said. “Phase 2 ensures that as Arizona continues to grow, we are relying on innovative solutions to help protect existing customers from the costs associated with expansion. Partnering with our extra-high load customers to maintain cost fairness is a part of our plan.”

Why a balanced energy mix is important

APS’s balanced energy portfolio is designed to ensure strong reliability and affordability for customers. By 2028, APS plans to add nearly 7,300 MW of new resources to support our state’s rapid growth and maintain service during high-demand conditions. Natural gas continues to play a vital role in providing flexibility and ensuring consistent power around the clock.

“Natural gas is an important partner to the large quantity of renewable resources we’re adding to our portfolio and provides flexible, on-demand energy to ensure reliability for customers, especially on our hottest summer days,” Tetlow said.

Nuclear energy and coal add important base-load components that make the system resilient.

Energy grid projects benefit Arizona’s workers and future

 “Natural gas generation is a critical component of a reliable and affordable grid,” said Representative Gail Griffin, Chairwoman of the Arizona House of Representatives Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee. “I applaud APS for its investment in Desert Sun Power Plant which will provide firm, dispatchable energy to support quality service for existing and future customers in Arizona.”

“The strength and reliability of Arizona’s energy grid serves as a competitive advantage in the global competition for 21st century jobs and economic development,” said Christine Mackay, Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC) President and CEO. “APS’s Desert Sun natural gas facility will play an important role in supporting our state’s growth and help ensure Arizona remains an attractive destination for leading businesses, advanced manufacturers and cutting-edge start-ups to invest in.”

“Reliable energy infrastructure is the foundation of a prosperous economy,” said David Martin, President of the Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors. “APS’s investment in Desert Sun will not only ensure Arizona has a strong power supply, but it will also support good paying contractor jobs for skilled men and women in our community.”

Economic and community impact

 The Desert Sun Power Plant is expected to be a significant driver of economic growth in Arizona:

• Job creation: Hundreds of construction jobs along with a smaller number of long-term operational positions.
• Business partnerships: Collaboration with local suppliers, contractors and service providers.
• Tax revenue: Increased contributions to local and state tax bases.

APS will host public open houses, maintain a project website at aps.com/desertsun and gather community feedback as part of its proposal. The new plant will feature advanced emissions controls to meet federal and county air quality standards and will operate with higher efficiency to limit emissions output.

APS intends to supply the plant with natural gas via the proposed Transwestern Pipeline’s Desert Southwest expansion project. To deliver electricity to customers, APS expects to build transmission infrastructure to connect Desert Sun to the grid. Phase 1 of the power plant is scheduled to begin serving customers by late 2030; Phase 2’s operation date will be determined through a collaborative process with participating extra-large customers.

Meeting Arizona’s growth head on

Arizona is one of the fastest growing states in the nation, with Maricopa County leading U.S. population gains since 2016. In 2024 alone, APS installed more than 32,000 new residential meters – the highest in more than a decade. At the same time, demand from extra-large energy users has surged, with requests exceeding 19,000 MW – more than double APS’s 2025 peak energy demand record of 8,631 MW.

How a Mix of Energy Sources Helps Keep Your Power Reliable 

Arizona is growing fast. More people and businesses are moving here, and that means the need for electricity is growing, too. To keep your power reliable, no matter the season or weather, APS uses a diverse mix of energy sources, including nuclear, natural gas, solar, wind, energy storage, coal and programs that help customers use less energy during times of high demand. This mix works together to deliver reliable power while keeping your bills as low as possible. 

Planning ahead to keep the lights on

We are constantly studying how much energy customers will need in the future. We look at things like how Arizona is growing, new technology and changes in weather to help us select cost-effective and reliable energy sources. Every three years, the results are publicly filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission in an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).

Looking at all energy options

We also use a competitive purchasing process to guide our resource decisions. Companies offer resource options, and we use the information provided to help us select the projects that are the best fit and give you the most reliable power at the least cost. (See: APS secures its largest-ever energy supply to reliably serve customers.)

Natural gas for reliability

Natural gas is important for providing 24/7 reliable service and is a critical partner to the clean energy resources we are adding. It works around the clock, provides support during the late afternoon and evening hours and helps fill in gaps when solar and wind aren’t available. While there is a large supply of natural gas in the United States, there is no room on existing pipelines to bring more of it to our state. That’s why APS and neighboring utilities have independently secured agreements for additional natural gas through a new natural gas pipeline. Learn more about how this will support reliability here.  

More nuclear for the future

As the operator of Palo Verde Generating Station, one of the largest nuclear plants in the U.S., we understand the value that clean nuclear energy provides customers. Now APS is working with SRP and TEP to explore adding new nuclear generation in Arizona. We have been monitoring progress with new nuclear technology and potential benefits for customers over the long term. Adding nuclear generation will take a significant amount of time, so it is important to begin the planning now.

Exploring options for coal

Because Arizona is growing so quickly, APS is exploring the potential continued use of our last remaining coal plant, the Four Corners Power Plant, to support reliability beyond the planned exit in 2031. Our Integrated Resource Plan process will inform the timing of our exit, which we expect will be no later than 2038, consistent with the end of operations under our Four Corners Power Plant lease.

Cost-competitive clean energy resources

APS’s energy mix is about 54% clean, and we continue to add more resources like solar, wind and energy storage. We are on track to install 2,700 megawatts (MW) of large-scale energy storage by 2026 and are planning to integrate more than 6,000 MW of solar and wind power into our system by 2027. We are committed to providing reliable power to customers at the lowest cost possible while striving to lower carbon emissions over time.

Powering ahead

With hotter temperatures and more people and businesses moving to Arizona, APS customers continue to set energy use records. To keep up, new energy sources need to be added to the grid quickly and thoughtfully. We’re also seeing significant requests from extra-large energy users, such as data centers and manufacturers. We are working to ensure those customers pay for the infrastructure they need without compromising reliability and affordability for the families and businesses that count on us for energy.

Arizona’s energy future is bright, and we value the opportunity to power ahead with you. Want to learn more? Visit aps.com/resources

Soaring temperatures pushed energy use to another high as Arizona Public Service (APS) customers set a peak energy demand record for the third time this summer. The record of 8,631 megawatts (MW) was set Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, between 5 and 6 p.m., according to preliminary figures. It was the second consecutive day the record was broken this week. One MW of energy is enough to serve about 160 Arizona homes.

Peak demand is the period of time when customer energy use is at its highest. This is the third consecutive year APS customers set a peak energy use record.

Recent peak records

Aug. 7, 2025      8,631 MW*

Aug. 6, 2025      8,534 MW*

July 9, 2025       8,527 MW

Aug. 4, 2024      8,210 MW

July 20, 2023     8,162 MW

*Preliminary figures

The heat was on across Arizona. The temperature climbed to 118 degrees in Phoenix on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, a new record for the date. Prescott also set a record with 99 degrees and Yuma tied its record of 114 degrees.

There are several factors leading to the steady increase in energy use. In addition to higher temperatures, people continue to move to Arizona, new businesses are setting up and the economy is growing. APS is keeping up with that growth, investing more than $2 billion a year in upgrades, operations and maintenance of the electrical system to provide customers with top-tier reliability.

"We have set three peak energy demand records so far this summer, which emphasizes the importance of maintaining reliability through the extreme weather and growing energy use we are experiencing in Arizona," said Ted Geisler, APS President and CEO.  "A balanced energy mix with nuclear, natural gas, coal, solar, wind and energy storage all play a role in delivering reliable, affordable service to our customers.”  

APS continues to prepare years ahead through its integrated resource planning process to secure a balanced energy mix for customers. The company is planning to add 9,805 MW of solar, wind, energy storage and natural gas resources – with more than 90% from carbon-free sources – through 2028. Just this week, APS and other Arizona utilities announced commitment plans for Transwestern Pipeline’s Desert Southwest expansion project. The project is expected to be completed by late 2029, bringing additional natural gas to the region to meet future energy demand. Flexible natural gas generation can also ramp up quickly to keep customers cool and comfortable during hot summer days when energy demand is highest.

Options to save money on your energy bill

While APS is well prepared to serve customers throughout summer, hot weather can impact your energy bill as you buy more energy to keep cool. Here are tips to help you manage your cooling costs and save money:

• APS customers have rate plan options. Look at the Monthly Plan Comparison on your bill to find out which plan would have saved you the most money. You can also view that by logging in to your account or going to aps.com/compare. Budget Billing can also help take out the swings of summer and winter billing by averaging the cost of your energy use so you pay a more predictable amount every month.
• For those on Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays and Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays with Demand Charge plans, pre-cool your home. Set your thermostat a few degrees lower than normal before 4 p.m. and then a few degrees higher during the period of 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Think 1, 2, 3 and turn up your thermostat a few degrees. For every one degree you raise your thermostat, you can save 2-3% on energy cooling costs. When on vacation, turn it up more.
• Earn bill credits. Join APS Cool Rewards (residential) or APS Peak Solutions (business) – programs that reward customers for conserving energy during times when usage is highest.
• Close curtains and blinds during the day to block out the sun and heat. Use fans to feel up to five degrees cooler. Set ceiling fans to run counterclockwise and remember fans cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when you leave.

Heat Relief Programs

APS partners with nonprofits and organizations to provide heat relief programs across the state, such as:

• 2-1-1 Arizona & Transportation Program: Solari, Inc. is partnering with Lyft and APS to provide heat relief resources for eligible Arizonans who call 2-1-1 Arizona for assistance to help fill the transportation gap that exists for those who seek shelter from the heat. See if you qualify here.
• Respite Centers: APS is supporting the Arizona Faith Network's hydration, cooling and respite centers throughout high-need neighborhoods in Maricopa County. Respite centers provide the most vulnerable a welcoming, secure place to lay down, cool off and rest safely.
• Cooling & Hydration Stations: APS supports The Salvation Army’s cooling and hydration stations throughout nine Arizona counties - Maricopa, Pinal, Yuma, Yavapai, La Paz, Navajo, Gila, Cochise and Coconino. Additional information can be found on The Salvation Army Phoenix website.
• Eviction Prevention, Emergency & Transitional Housing Programs – In partnership with St. Vincent de Paul, APS helps individuals and families stay safe at home through eviction-prevention assistance as well as provides support for emergency shelter.

In rural parts of the state, power lines and equipment may be inaccessible by road and traverse remote areas of forested and desert land. Hauling utility poles by hand across this difficult terrain can be demanding and time-consuming. That’s where lineworkers get creative and use out of the box solutions to get the job done.

One approach involves collaboration and innovation – and air lift helicopters. In preparation for the summer run, APS crews in the Payson area utilized a Bell 206 helicopter to transport and install two 45-foot power poles near a substation in Flowing Springs connecting to another in Pine. The new power line will help improve service reliability for nearly 730 customers in the area.

To help speed up the work, the poles were strategically staged in Payson near the work site and then flown in.

On the ground, an APS crew worked in conjunction with the helicopter pilot to guide the poles into holes previously dug. Lineworkers then secured them with expandable foam or tightly packed dirt.

"The line crew and the helicopter pilot – working in concert – use hand signals to direct the movements needed to safely set the poles one at a time," said Mike Shaw, Transmission and Distribution Operations and Maintenance Supervisor in Payson. "Together, they align the base of the pole to fit snugly into a 24-inch hole from 100 feet in the air. It is a refined skill and truly an art."

APS regularly monitors and evaluates infrastructure to plan for the future. In 2024, we completed phase one of a major upgrade to a 230 kilovolt (kV) underground transmission line, known as the “backbone” of the metro Phoenix 230kV system, strengthening reliability for customers to support today’s high energy demands and future growth.

The project, which replaces a line installed approximately 50 years ago, prioritizes a steady and secure power supply, minimizing the risk of outages and disruptions in customers’ daily lives. The replacement of a transmission line is thoughtfully planned for years before construction can begin. APS Engineer Steven Goss explained the extensive teamwork needed to replace a line that weighs 30,000 to 70,000 pounds per cable reel.

“We have our Underground Engineering design team who works closely with our Substation and Operational Support Engineering teams to ensure the project meets customers’ long-term needs. Our internal craft electricians also support from initial design to construction, and we work with external experts who specialize in cable and underground pipe work.”

We continue to work on upgrading additional segments of the line, as well as nearby substations, which will be completed by 2028.

To see how phase one of the line was safely upgraded, and to learn more about the project, watch this video.

For the third consecutive year, Arizona Public Service (APS) customers made history. They set a new peak energy demand record by using 8,527 megawatts (MW) of power on Wednesday, July 9, 2025 between 5 and 6 p.m., according to preliminary figures. Peak demand is the period of time when customer energy use is at its highest and the record was set on this summer’s hottest day so far, reaching 118 degrees in Phoenix. APS crews across the state worked year-round to prepare the energy grid for this demand and we’re recognizing their efforts today on National Lineworker Appreciation Day, observed July 10.

The back-to-back-to-back records come as no surprise to APS’s resource management team, which forecasts energy needs years in advance and secures reliable resources to keep customers safe and comfortable during extreme heat and to meet rising demand. Multiple factors are contributing to the need to expand Arizona’s power supply, including increasing temperatures, more people moving to the state and a booming economy. APS invests more than $2 billion a year in upgrades, operations and maintenance of the electrical system to provide customers with top-tier reliability.  

“Arizona is growing fast, and APS is building out the energy grid to keep pace,” said Brian Cole, APS Vice President of Resource Management. “Our team monitors customer needs by the minute, plans decades ahead and covers everything in between. From 24/7 nuclear to flexible natural gas, coal, solar, wind, battery storage and our partnerships with customers – we’re delivering reliable service with balanced resources at the lowest cost possible.”

How did we get here? APS customer energy records since the 1970s

By 2038, APS customers will require more than 13,000 MW of energy to serve peak needs, a staggering 60% increase over today’s peak demand which took APS 140 years to reach since it first began serving customers. For perspective, one MW of energy is enough to serve about 160 Arizona homes. With more than 38,000 miles of power lines, the APS energy grid has significantly evolved over time to adapt to society’s changing needs, like the widespread adoption of air conditioning and electric household appliances in the 1980s and today’s rapid advancements in technology and manufacturing.

Picture this, in 1979, APS served about 387,000 homes and businesses; today, APS serves about 1.4 million. The graph below displays customer peak energy demand for each decade from the 1970s to now.

Other peak records this decade were 2024’s 8,210 MW, 2023’s 8,162 MW and 2020’s 7,660 MW.

Ways to save money on your energy bill

While APS is well prepared to serve customers throughout summer, hot weather can impact your energy bill. Here are tips to help you manage your cooling costs and save money:

• APS customers have rate plan options. Find out which plan can save you the most money by looking at the Monthly Plan Comparison on your bill, logging in to your account or going to aps.com/compare. Budget Billing can also help take out the swings of summer and winter billing by averaging the cost of your energy use so you pay a more predictable amount every month.
• For those on Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays and Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays with Demand Charge plans, pre-cool your home. Set your thermostat a few degrees lower than normal before 4 p.m. and then a few degrees higher during the period of 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Think 1, 2, 3 and turn up your thermostat a few degrees. For every one degree you raise your thermostat, you can save 2-3% on energy cooling costs. When on vacation, turn it up more.
• Earn bill credits. Join APS Cool Rewards (residential) or APS Peak Solutions (business) – programs that reward customers for conserving energy during times when usage is highest.
• Close curtains and blinds during the day to block out the sun and heat, especially if your windows are older and less energy efficient.
• Use fans to feel up to five degrees cooler. Set ceiling fans to run counterclockwise and remember fans cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when you leave.

Summer 2025 is coming in hot and Arizona Public Service (APS) is ready to keep the energy flowing and air conditioners humming. Another potential record-breaking year for energy demand may be in sight, in addition to extreme weather. APS is prepared with sufficient power supply, upgraded electrical equipment and emergency response plans to keep customers cool and connected.

“When the summer heat sets in, the APS energy grid doesn’t break a sweat and works 24/7 to power through those back-to-back days of triple-digit temperatures. But this doesn’t happen by accident. It’s a result of our dedicated employees, their proactive planning and our crews always ready to respond to keep our electrical system going,” said Jacob Tetlow, APS Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “APS provides reliable power customers can count on and our teams from all over the state including lineworkers, resource planners, grid operators, engineers, drone pilots and power plant operators work diligently so the grid runs smoothly.”

How does APS provide the energy customers need when they need it?

As a result of year-round maintenance and planning, APS customers faced fewer minutes of interrupted service last year than the nationwide industry average. While APS meteorologists are forecasting odds tilted in favor of above average rainfall and temperatures for this year’s monsoon season, APS is prepared to deliver continued top-tier reliability through several efforts:

Summer Heat and Peak Energy Demand

• Resource planners work years in advance to meet Arizona’s growing energy needs. This year, APS forecasts a potential peak customer energy demand of about 8,491 megawatts (MW). Last year, APS customers set a record of 8,210 MW in Aug. 2024. Peak demand is the period of time when customer energy use is at its highest.
• APS maintains a diverse and balanced energy mix to serve customers with reliable and affordable energy – ranging from 24/7 nuclear power, flexible natural gas, solar and wind power and battery energy storage.

Storm Preparedness and Response

• Lineworkers frequently upgrade the energy grid and have installed steel poles in targeted areas where possible to lessen the impact of strong winds.
• Grid operators monitor the electrical system around-the-clock. APS installed smart grid devices at strategic locations on power lines to help swiftly reroute power and shorten outages to reduce the impact on as many customers as possible.
• Ahead of a storm, APS meteorologists forecast potential weather conditions. APS teams utilize this information to strategically stage lineworkers, supplies and resources to help make repairs as quickly and safely as possible.

Comprehensive Wildfire Mitigation

• In time for elevated fire risk in 2025, APS fire mitigation experts are using artificial intelligence (AI) smoke detection cameras to search for early signs of wildfires and support firefighters. APS AI cameras have detected smoke starts within minutes of initially burning, aiding firefighters in their efforts to contain fires quickly.
• To monitor fire risk, APS meteorologists are also using innovative technology, including weather stations, high-definition cameras and advanced fire modeling software.
• Field crews regularly remove dry and hazardous trees and brush near equipment, poles and power lines. They wrap fire mesh around wooden poles in high-risk fire areas to help protect them from fires.
• Through its Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program, APS may temporarily shut off the power during extreme weather conditions in limited high fire-risk communities to help prevent wildfires. Limited areas within Coconino, Gila, Navajo, Pinal and Yavapai counties are included in the program, and customers will receive advance notification prior to a PSPS. Customers can search their addresses to see if they’re in an area where a PSPS may be called through our interactive map here.

How can customers prepare for extreme summer weather?

• Ensure your contact information with APS is current. Sign in to your aps.com account or call the APS Customer Care Center at (602) 371-7171 to update your email, text and phone numbers so APS can reach you in the event of an emergency.
• Alert APS if you use life-supporting medical equipment that requires electricity, call (602) 371-7171 to register for our Medical Care Program.
• Pack an emergency supply kit. Include non-perishable foods, a can-opener, water, a first-aid kit, a battery-operated radio, flashlights, extra batteries, a portable phone charger and medication.
• Make a family emergency plan. Write down important phone numbers for medical providers, family, friends and APS. Identify a cool location you can visit during an outage to stay comfortable and safe, such as a family member’s home outside of your neighborhood.
• Secure outdoor objects that could blow away or cause damage. Objects found in backyards, like umbrellas, kiddie pools, canopies, and trampolines can end up in power lines, causing outages.
• Stay at least 100 feet away from a downed power line, call 911, and then call APS.

The life of one of the nation’s largest power producers began nearly 60 years ago. Around the time the Apollo 11 spaceflight landed two astronauts on the moon, some dreamers in Arizona were considering a nuclear power facility. APS led a group to study the viability of meeting the power needs of Arizona and the Southwest with nuclear energy. Two years later, five utilities in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas formed the Arizona Nuclear Power Project. In 1976, construction began for the Palo Verde Generating Station 50 miles west of downtown Phoenix.

This month Palo Verde celebrates the anniversary of a key milestone, 40 years ago, on June 1, 1985, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an operating license for Unit 1 and almost immediately, with APS as the plant’s operator, connected to the energy grid. By 1988, after the NRC issued licenses for Units 2 and 3 and the three units were operating at full capacity, Palo Verde became the nation’s largest producer of clean, carbon-free energy and that has continued, consistently generating more than 30 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year, enough to power more than four million homes and businesses in the U.S. Southwest. Now owned by seven utilities, the plant produces about 27% of the electric power generated in Arizona.

As we approach summer, Palo Verde is ready to continue reliably serving customers, even when Arizona temperatures soar above 110 degrees and new customer electricity usage records may be set. Unlike some other energy resources, nuclear power is available 24/7/365, serving as the backbone to APS’s diverse mix of energy. APS customers are relying on the energy generated at Palo Verde to keep the lights on and the AC running.

Palo Verde is important in the long-term to meet customers’ needs. APS has already secured NRC license extensions well into the 2040s and is preserving the option to seek extensions into the 2060s. The nuclear story continues beyond Palo Verde. APS is leading an effort with two other major utilities in Arizona to explore the potential for additional nuclear generation. A team is evaluating a range of technologies, considering small modular reactors as well as large reactors like Palo Verde, as well as a wide range of siting options in Arizona, including at retiring coal plant sites.

This joint effort could result in the selection of a preferred nuclear site in the late 2020s, potentially enabling additional nuclear power to be generated in the early 2040s. The three Arizona utilities will continue their collaboration on charting a path to meet Arizonans’ energy needs into the future.

Just as that earlier generation of visionaries saw the need for nuclear power, we hope to strengthen Arizona’s energy future by taking the steps now to add new nuclear resources for tomorrow, ensuring that Arizonans will continue to be served by clean, carbon-free, reliable nuclear power.

Arizona Public Service (APS) today filed an application with the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) to update its rates to ensure it can continue providing customers with the energy they need, when they need it, while supporting Arizona’s growth and future energy demands.

This is an initial step in a public, collaborative process that typically lasts more than a year. New rates are not expected to go into effect until the second half of 2026. APS always is striving to keep costs manageable and to empower customers to choose a rate plan that aligns with their budgets and energy needs. At the same time, current rates have not kept pace with what it costs to operate a grid that provides the reliable, resilient energy our customers count on to power their lives. In fact, the current rates are based upon costs from three to four years ago. This adjustment is essential to cover the cost of delivering power to customers’ homes and businesses, including infrastructure upgrades.

“We understand rising costs are impacting so many aspects of customers’ lives today,” said Ted Geisler, APS President and CEO. “We also understand it is never a good time to see bills increase. That’s why we’re focused on doing our part to keep our costs down as much as we can, while giving customers tools, programs and choices to help them manage their bills. Reliability isn’t optional —it’s essential, especially in Arizona. We must ensure the power is there when our customers need it most, and we thank them for trusting us with their energy needs. That is what this rate case and proposed adjustment are about.”

The application for new rates supports:

Enhancing reliability and resilience:

• System upgrades like pole repair and replacement, substation and grid technology improvements.
• Programs to protect the grid from extreme weather, such as vegetation management, predictive maintenance and wildfire early detection and mitigation tools.
• Installation of smart grid technology for quicker power restoration times.
• Power plant upgrades:
  • Improvements at sites like Palo Verde Generating Station and Redhawk Power Plant for increased efficiency during the hottest months when customer energy demand is highest.
  • Expansion of battery energy storage at renewable energy locations to capture renewable energy and use it at times of day when customer energy demand is high.
  • Increased protection against physical and cybersecurity threats.

Delivering customer support:

APS is committed to assisting limited-income customers through the state’s most generous low-income Energy Support discount program, as well as various bill assistance programs including Crisis Bill. To help customers make choices about how they use energy, APS has enhanced the customer bill design and account dashboard, as well as digital platforms and notifications to customers with important information about their account, outages and emergencies.

Keeping costs as low as possible:

APS consistently focuses on cost management, and employees have worked diligently to improve efficiency and productivity — and deliver cost savings. The rate adjustment proposal is designed to ensure each customer group pays its fair share, allowing APS to manage rising expenses without compromising service quality.

• Adjusting rate design elements to ensure new customers (for example, large data centers) will pay what it costs to serve their high electricity needs without shifting costs to existing customers.
• Updating the Grid Access Charge for residential rooftop solar customers to reduce the costs currently being shared by customers without solar, and to align expenses with reliable service needs.
• Proposing a tool to make future rate adjustments more gradual on an annual basis, either up or down, based on the previous year’s expenses and investments.

Proposed rate impact:

APS last filed a rate case three years ago, in 2022, and the ACC approved new rates in 2024 based on costs from 2021-2022. If the current request is approved as proposed, the overall rate adjustment would reflect a 13.99% net increase to revenue collection. For a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity, the net monthly bill impact would be about $20. Many factors affect a customer’s bill amount, including energy usage, weather, rate plan and days in a billing period. Rate changes would not take effect until sometime in the second half of 2026.

What’s next:

An Administrative Law Judge will issue a procedural order to guide and schedule the rate case, including setting hearings, public comment sessions and deadlines for participant evidence and testimony. To conclude the case, the judge will issue a recommended opinion and order that ACC Commissioners will discuss in a public meeting before determining new rates. This process typically takes more than a year, and rate changes would not take effect until sometime during the second half of 2026. To keep up to date on the rate case process, visit aps.com/ratecase.

APS is committed to helping customers:

APS is here to support customers with their rate plans, flexible interest-free payment arrangements and ways to manage bills and save money. APS offers residential customers the choice between three different rate plans to align with their energy needs, as well as tools to determine the rate plan that would have saved the most money based on their usage. For those who need help paying their bill, APS offers monthly discounts for those who qualify, as well as payment assistance programs including levelized billing, where customers can pay about the same amount each month and not have seasonal swings in their bills. Visit aps.com/assistance or call our Customer Care Center at (602) 371-7171 or (800) 253-9405. Advisors are available in English and Spanish.

As Arizona’s population and economy continue to grow, so does the state’s appetite for electricity.

APS’s customer base, which for decades leaned heavily residential, is now more diversified than ever before. A robust increase in commercial and industrial customers in our service territory – including new chip manufacturing and expanding data center operations – is leading to incredible economic growth and triggering a historic wave of demand for electricity in our state.

From our inception in 1886, it has taken APS nearly 140 years for our system to exceed 8,000 megawatts (MW) in peak customer demand. (Peak demand refers to the time of day when electricity consumption is highest, typically in the evening or during peak summer heat.) We expect that number to grow to more than 13,000 MW over the next 14 years – an increase of 60%.

This demand for energy is being led, in large part, by extra-large energy users who need consistently high levels of reliable energy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In particular, the data center industry is growing exponentially, driven by an increase in cloud computing services, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies require massive amounts of data to be processed and stored, leading to a surge in demand for data centers – and the energy to power them! 

Here at APS, we are working to meet the electrical resource and infrastructure needs of these prospective users by identifying and developing innovative solutions, including a “growth pays for growth” strategy. That’s why we’re proposing to the Arizona Corporation Commission new rates specifically for extra-large energy users. We have a responsibility to ensure reliability for the families and businesses that currently count on us for energy before expanding service to new data center projects.

In short, we will only commit to providing service to these prospective data centers – and other extra-large energy users – when we can ensure it will not compromise reliability or affordability for our existing customers.

As we navigate these unprecedented requests for energy, APS remains fully committed to supporting growth in our state in a responsible and sustainable manner. To clarify, however, it is not growth for the sake of growth we are seeking.

We are pursuing smart growth that can help us develop a cleaner and more efficient energy supply while ensuring reliability and keeping bills as low as possible for customers. The result will be a stronger Arizona for the long term.

That’s exactly what an APS engineer did in late 2023 after learning an out-of-state utility was in the process of decommissioning a power plant and liquidating its equipment. He quickly worked with teams across multiple organizations to begin the process of purchasing the material -- that was in good shape -- to replace our existing equipment that had heavy wear and needed critical parts that were no longer available from the manufacturer.

Over the course of just weeks, APS was able to secure the pre-used equipment at a deep discount and take immediate delivery instead of the two-year lead time for new equipment.

The savings don’t end there. The team also did research to determine the material was tax exempt. In total, this bargain-hunting crew was able to acquire the equipment and parts it needed to bring the plant to 100% production, while saving more than $14 million. Now that’s a good deal for all us!

This is just one example of hundreds of ways our employees are trained to look for opportunities to find efficiencies and save money every day.

From keeping refrigerators and ACs running to staying connected online, reliable energy is critical. At Arizona Public Service (APS), we’re investing in innovative technology like FLISR to make our electric grid more reliable and responsive.

What is FLISR?
While the acronym may sound silly (flizzer!), the technology is smart. FLISR stands for Fault Location, Isolation and Service Restoration. This tool helps us detect and respond to outages automatically and in real time.

Here’s how it works:

• A fault occurs (like debris such as mylar balloons on a power line).
• FLISR quickly detects the issue and pinpoints the location.
• The system automatically isolates the affected area and switches some customers to alternate power sources where possible, minimizing the impact of the outage.
• Power is restored to as many customers as possible, significantly reducing customer outage time.

All of this happens without needing to send a crew out first, getting the lights back on to more customers faster. Additionally, precise fault location allows us to dispatch repair crews to the specific location and inform customers about outage status in real time.

So how does FLISR directly benefit customers?

• Faster Power Restoration
  Most outages can be resolved quickly and automatically.
• Smaller Impact
  FLISR isolates the problem area, meaning fewer customers lose power during an event.
• Increased Reliability
  By detecting and addressing issues immediately, FLISR helps reduce the number and duration of outages overall.
• Efficient Use of Crews
  Our team can focus on making repairs where they’re truly needed, especially during storms or emergencies.

“With FLISR technology, we can respond to outages in real time, often restoring power before our crews even arrive. That means fewer interruptions and faster service for customers. In Arizona’s extreme climate, that’s a game-changer. This smart technology helps us keep the lights on safely, efficiently and reliably.” – Steve Caporaso, APS Supervisor Smart Grid & Advanced Grid Technology

Built for Arizona’s Unique Challenges

Extreme heat, monsoon storms and wildfire risks all present unique challenges to our electric system. Technologies like FLISR are part of how we’re preparing the grid for whatever comes our way, helping us deliver reliable power in every season.

FLISR is just one of the ways APS is modernizing the grid to support reliable service for customers. To learn more about how APS is supporting customer reliability, visit aps.com/reliability. 

Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) announced today they’ll be working together to explore adding nuclear generation in Arizona.

The utilities have been monitoring emerging nuclear technologies and have a shared interest in evaluating their potential to support growing energy needs in the state. APS is leading the effort in collaboration with SRP and TEP to assess a wide range of possible locations, including at the sites of retiring coal plants. Nuclear energy is and will continue to be a valuable part of a diverse energy mix, providing reliable and clean energy 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Energy demand in Arizona is increasing rapidly,” said Ted Geisler, APS President. “To ensure a reliable and affordable electric supply for our customers, we are committed to maintaining a diverse energy mix. While new nuclear generation would take more than a decade to develop, the planning and exploration of options must begin now. We are partnering with neighboring utilities to assess the feasibility of new nuclear generation, alongside other resources, to meet the state’s growing energy needs.”

“SRP is exploring all options to meet the growing energy needs of the Phoenix metropolitan area affordably, reliably and sustainably,” said Jim Pratt, SRP General Manager and CEO. “We appreciate the collaboration with our neighboring utilities to help determine the role new nuclear generation could play in powering Arizona’s future.”

“New nuclear generation could provide Arizona with reliable, around-the-clock carbon-free energy to power economic growth while helping us make progress toward a clean energy future,” said Susan Gray, TEP President and CEO. “We know the development timeline would be long, so it makes sense for our state’s energy providers to begin this preliminary evaluation as soon as possible.”

Siting work for additional nuclear would consider small modular reactors (SMRs) and potential large reactor projects. SMRs, which are smaller than traditional nuclear power reactors, generate 300 megawatts (MW) or less of energy per unit. For comparison, each unit at Palo Verde Generating Station, located west of Phoenix, is able to generate 1,400 MW. One megawatt of electricity is enough to power about 160 Arizona homes.

The utilities have applied for a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to begin preliminary exploration of a potential site for additional nuclear energy for Arizona. The application has been submitted under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations & Office of Nuclear Energy’s Generation III+ Small Modular Reactor program. If approved, the grant would support a three-year site selection process and possible preparation of an early site permit application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The grant application is an initial step in a larger collaborative effort by the utilities to explore the possibility of adding reliable, efficient and clean nuclear energy in the state. This joint effort could see the selection of a preferred nuclear site in the late 2020s, at the earliest, potentially enabling additional nuclear to be in operation in the early 2040s. The three Arizona utilities will continue their collaboration on charting a path to meet Arizonans’ energy needs into the future.

Arizona Public Service: APS serves about 1.4 million homes and businesses in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is a leader in delivering reliable, affordable and clean energy in the Southwest. The company is committed to serving customers with 100% clean power by 2050. As owner and operator of Palo Verde Generating Station, one of the nation’s largest producers of carbon-free electricity, and with one of the country’s most substantial renewable energy portfolios, APS’s current energy mix is about 54% clean.

Salt River Project: SRP is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest provider of electricity in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving more than 1 million customers. SRP is also the metropolitan area’s largest supplier of water, delivering about 800,000 acre-feet annually to municipal, urban and agricultural water users. SRP employees are available 24/7/365 for any customer needs or concerns. Simply call 602-236-8888 or visit srpnet.com/heretohelp and srpnet.com.

Tucson Electric Power: TEP serves more than 450,000 electric customers in Southern Arizona. TEP and its Tucson, Arizona-based parent company, UNS Energy Corporation, are subsidiaries of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry.

Media Contacts:
APS: Michael Philipsen, michael.philipsen@aps.com, 480-647-7762
SRP: Jennifer Schuricht, jennifer.schuricht@srpnet.com, 480-625-5070 
TEP: Joe Barrios, jbarrios@tep.com, 520-884-3725

Today, Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP), Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and UniSource Energy Services announced plans to join Southwest Power Pool’s (SPP) Markets+, a day-ahead and real-time energy market that is anticipated to span through the northwest, southwest and mountain west regions of the U.S. The new market is expected to bring enhanced reliability and savings of nearly $100 million above current market participation, passed back across the electric companies’ customers. It will also support the addition of more renewable resources to the energy grid, as Arizona continues to experience residential and business growth and record-breaking energy demand.

Along with other western utilities, Markets+ is anticipated to help the Arizona energy providers respond efficiently to market price changes and regional weather events driving energy usage, while giving them access to a larger pool of diverse generation resources. After several years of strategic planning and development, APS, SRP, TEP and UniSource expect to participate in the new market as early as 2027.

“Arizona is one of the fastest growing states in the country and we are thoughtfully planning for the future and evolving our operations to continue to provide top-tier service and reliability to our customers at an affordable cost,” said Brian Cole, APS Vice President of Resource Management. “Together with our neighboring utilities, APS plans to join Markets+ to efficiently deliver energy and bolster the resilience of our shared energy grid in Arizona and across the region.”

“SRP’s participation in SPP Markets+ is a key component of our plan to meet the growing energy needs of our customers reliably and affordably and will help us achieve our 2035 Sustainability Goals,” said Josh Robertson, SRP Director of Energy Market Strategy. “We look forward to working with utilities in the region to bring the cost and resilience benefits to our respective customers.”

“Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services are excited about the value that Markets+ can provide to our customers, including cost savings and greater access to clean energy and other resources that support affordable, reliable service,” said Erik Bakken, TEP Senior Vice President. “We look forward to strengthening an already collaborative, productive relationship with Southwest Power Pool, our reliability coordinator, in its new role as market operator.”

What is an energy market?
An energy market is an interconnected network of electricity providers that help meet the supply and demand of power across a specific geography and include transmission pathways for electricity to travel from one location to another. Through Markets+, APS, SRP, TEP and UniSource will have greater access to substantial cost-effective hydroelectric, wind and nuclear power to help meet their customers’ needs. When demand is lower, the Arizona utilities can sell energy, like excess solar power during the winter season, to maintain a balanced electric system, while also taking advantage of cost-savings opportunities.

How will Markets+ benefit Arizonans and the region?
Over the past several years, APS, SRP, TEP and UniSource actively participated in workshops and planning meetings with other western utilities to equitably develop the new market’s design. Markets+ offers participants an independent governance structure that ensures the market meets the needs of customers now and into the future and provides each utility equitable representation and voice in the process. The design is intended to offer a variety of benefits to customers, including:

Increased Reliability

• Participation standards requiring utilities to maintain specific generation levels to sustain a reliable pool of available market resources.
• Improving regional energy flows to better serve customer needs on transmission lines from the Northwest through the Mountain West and down to the Southwest.
• Efficient market structure that allows energy providers greater flexibility in meeting customers’ short-term and long-term energy needs in real time and day-ahead markets. This allows utilities to plan long-term, the next day, hourly and down to even 5-minute intervals.

Greater Cost Savings

• Greater savings for customers from more efficient utilization of generation resources.

More Clean Energy

• Expanded diversity of renewable and clean energy technologies – from solar power and battery energy storage to wind and hydropower – expected across a region from Arizona to Canada.
• Support for participating utilities’ clean energy goals by enabling better movement of clean energy from a shared pool of power plants and technologies.  
• Leveraging Southwest Power Pool’s 20 years of experience as a regional transmission operator, which includes a recent, significant expansion of renewable resources.

For more information on Markets+, visit spp.org/marketsplus.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Grid Deployment Office announced it has awarded Arizona Public Service Company (APS) two grants, totaling $70 million, for projects to strengthen smart grid resilience, expand wildfire prevention and mitigation measures and help meet customers’ growing energy needs. The funds are part of the DOE’s Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) program, which is focused on enhancing and improving electric systems in rural, tribal and disadvantaged communities across the country.

“The APS energy grid spans more than 38,000 miles of power lines throughout Arizona and, for 140 years, has served customers with reliable electricity. As we plan for our state’s future, we’re also building smarter energy infrastructure that can stand strong during extreme weather and meet customers’ needs,” said Jacob Tetlow, APS Executive Vice President of Operations. “This funding, along with the approximately $2 billion a year APS invests in maintenance and upgrades, will support large-scale, innovative engineering projects designed to bolster the delivery of reliable energy our customers count on.”

Two DOE grants to benefit customers and the APS smart grid

1. Strengthening Arizona’s Wildfire Mitigation Efforts – $50 Million Grant

APS fire mitigation experts, meteorologists and field crews work year-round to protect communities, first responders and electrical infrastructure from Arizona’s growing fire risk and dry, hot summers. This grant will help fund new projects that expand APS’s industry-leading wildfire mitigation program.

Project benefits include:

• Enhancing energy grid safety by installing thousands of upgraded electrical fuses and devices to help smart grid operators make calculated, real-time adjustments to electricity distribution and perform targeted safety shutoffs. Select wooden poles in high-risk fire areas will be upgraded to fire-resistant steel poles. These measures will increase safety in communities and minimize service impacts to customers.
   
• Improving data-based decisions by expanding the APS network of weather stations and fire-monitoring cameras on electrical equipment, adding hundreds of devices across Arizona’s high fire risk areas and integrating more fire modeling software to enhance predictions about wildfire probability.
   
• Increasing reliable energy for vulnerable communities by building microgrids in two high fire risk Arizona communities. The microgrids will provide a local backup power supply during outages caused by fires and other extreme weather.
   
• Driving positive community impact and seeking to contract projects with diverse and underrepresented suppliers, businesses and union-represented contract employees.

This project will boost APS’s current efforts to reduce wildfire risk, which include removing hazardous brush from about 40,000 power poles each year, shielding equipment with fire-resistant mesh to protect against fire damage and collaborating with local fire agencies across Arizona to develop emergency response plans.
 

2. Enhancing Arizona’s Smart, Resilient Grid – $20 Million Grant

APS is building smarter energy infrastructure to increase resilience against extreme weather, address growing customer demand and integrate more clean energy resources. This grant will help fund the construction of new smart grid technology projects to increase APS’s ability to efficiently and safely reroute electricity during outage situations to improve restoration times.

Project benefits include:

• Strengthening reliability and resilience in primarily rural and tribal communities through upgrades in energy grid technology. This will bring significant savings in repair costs and over 20 years, avoid an estimated 1.2 million unplanned service interruptions. 
   
• Increasing up to 15% more power delivered to APS customers through new equipment installed on specific transmission lines. This additional capacity will improve reliability, efficiency and connect more clean energy technologies to the smart grid.
   
• Utilizing advanced data analysis and information gathered from new technologies and smart grid devices by APS engineers and operators to track energy patterns over time and plan for future project needs. 
   
• Seeking to create full-time jobs targeting union-represented and underrepresented contractors. APS will also dedicate funding to its Crisis Bill Assistance program and its scholarship and workforce development initiatives.

Thirty APS employees, including lineworkers and support crewmembers from Phoenix, Yuma, Douglas, Casa Grande, Payson, Snowflake, Flagstaff, Wickenburg, Cottonwood and Prescott loaded up their bucket trucks and hit the road Thursday morning, Oct. 10. Central and southern Arizona crews met in Benson for departure while northern Arizona crews gathered in Flagstaff before meeting up in Holbrook with employees from Payson and Snowflake to caravan across the country. They’re scheduled to arrive in Florida Saturday, joining teams from other utilities to support the effort which could take a month.

Robert Houle, APS Construction Maintenance Supervisor, is leading the crews on the cross-country journey. While he knows the days ahead will be long and strenuous, he and the crews are focused on helping people in need.

“Our mission is more than reconnecting wires – it’s rebuilding resilience and relighting the path to recovery for communities who lost everything,” said Houle. “We expect to encounter extreme destruction and challenging environments as we work to safely restore power. It’s rewarding to be a part of this effort, getting essential infrastructure back up so people and businesses can get back on their feet. We’re confident our fellow lineworkers would do the same if we needed help here at home."

The APS lineworkers, who typically work in all parts of the state, volunteered to leave their homes and day-to-day duties in Arizona as part of a mutual assistance network with energy providers nationwide. When natural disasters strike, causing significant damage to the electric system and leading to widespread or extended power outages, electric companies turn to those in the mutual assistance network for support. APS is fulfilling the request from utilities in Florida, while continuing to provide reliable service for customers at home in Arizona.

Providing mutual assistance is not new to APS. In 2022, APS crews traveled to Grass Valley, CA after destructive winter storms. In 2018, crews helped with restoration efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and later that year offered assistance to utilities in Paradise, California after the devastating Camp Wildfire. In 2012, APS crews supported restoration efforts in New York after Superstorm Sandy.

Monsoon season is officially over and for a second straight summer, record heat outshined stormy weather. As air conditioners hummed along, Arizona Public Service (APS) customers again broke peak energy demand records, while temperatures stayed in the triple-digits for almost four months straight. And while the calendar says it’s autumn, it still feels like summer, as extremely high temperatures remain across Arizona.

"Arizonans often say ‘we’re used to the heat’ but this summer was especially tough. APS employees take to heart the importance of keeping people cool and safe, delivering the power our 1.4 million customers need on our hottest days and all year long," said Jacob Tetlow, APS Executive Vice President of Operations. “As more people and businesses move to our great state, we continue to be one of the most reliable energy providers in the nation and our rates are below the national average. We invest in the electrical system and maintain a diverse mix of resources, including wind and solar power, energy storage, flexible natural gas and carbon-free nuclear power.”

Providing reliable power during historic 113-day run of 100+ degrees

This summer’s long stretch of 113 days above 100 degrees in Phoenix is the longest streak in Arizona history. The hot days, high nighttime temperatures and the Valley’s heat island effect meant air conditioners were running around the clock to keep homes and businesses cool. As a result:

• APS customers set a new peak energy demand record of 8,210 megawatts (MW) on Sunday, Aug. 4. (A preliminary number was shared in an earlier news release.) Peak demand is the highest amount of energy consumed at one time by customers. The previous record of 8,162 MW was set on Saturday, July 15, 2023.
• APS customer energy demand exceeded 8,000 MW on four different days. For perspective, during winter, APS customer peak energy demand ranges between 4,000 and 5,200 MW.

APS customers had reliable power when they needed it most to keep cool and stay comfortable, thanks to long-term resource planning, a robust power supply, regular maintenance and frequent upgrades to power lines and equipment.

Monsoon storm response

For many Arizonans, it may have felt like a ”nonsoon” summer. It was one of the driest monsoon seasons on record; however, there were storms that produced extreme weather, including hurricane-force winds. When storms affected our customers’ power, APS crews were ready to respond quickly to safely restore service.

• APS crews replaced 290 storm-damaged power poles across APS service territory.
• By comparison, 2023’s monsoon season brought down 125 power poles. During 2022’s active monsoon season, APS replaced a record 811 damaged poles.

In the sweltering heat of July, APS repair crews worked one of the Valley’s strongest storms that snapped power poles and broke electrical equipment. Severe winds of up to 75 mph, fueled by multiple downbursts, caused such extensive damage in one southwest Phoenix neighborhood that APS crews had to first rebuild the grid serving that area in order to restore power.

To protect nearby neighborhoods, APS partnered with customers enrolled in its Cool Rewards smart thermostat program  in a unique and historic way. APS customer technology experts worked with a specific, targeted portion of its network of thermostats, located in participating customers’ homes, to help voluntarily conserve power. This effort, along with operational back-ups, including rerouting electricity, helped relieve strain on the electric system caused by the severe storm damage.

This was the first time in APS history a smart thermostat program was utilized in such a targeted manner. APS Cool Rewards acts like a virtual power plant during times when energy usage is at its highest. Typically, all 95,000 enrolled thermostats work together, capable of conserving nearly 160MW of energy, similar to the amount a small power plant would produce.

Tracking wildfire activity and maintaining a strong grid

So far in 2024, APS fire mitigation experts have tracked nearly 1,500 wildfires in Arizona, focusing on 450 fires that came within 10 miles of APS infrastructure. Most of these incidents were caused by human activity or lightning. APS employees worked in collaboration with fire agencies to ensure no major impacts to electrical equipment or service to customers. APS fire prevention, detection and mitigation efforts this year included:

• Clearing hazardous brush, dry grass and other vegetation from about 40,000 power poles.
• Activating new fire cameras and weather stations to aid in fire detection.
• Tracking wind speeds and humidity levels, by APS meteorologists, near extreme fire risk areas.
• Installing fire mesh on power poles in higher-risk fire areas to shield equipment from fire damage.

This summer’s weather conditions did not result in the need for APS to perform any Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).

Support for summer energy bills

Higher summer temperatures have led to increased electricity use by APS customers, which can mean higher energy bills. For example, residential energy usage on customers' July bills was 25% higher than last July. APS is here to help customers with support ranging from flexible payment options to crisis bill assistance. Budget Billing  evens out the seasonal highs and lows for a more consistent monthly payment. Additionally, earlier this year, APS introduced new tiered energy support discounts for qualifying customers approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Customers can contact the APS Customer Care Center to speak with an advisor 24/7 in English or Spanish at 602-371-7171 (800-253-9405) or visit aps.com/assistance.

This is National and Arizona Clean Energy Week, a celebration of the carbon-free technologies that power our daily lives. APS currently provides customers with energy that is 51% clean through a mix that includes nuclear and renewable resources and offers programs that help customers reduce energy use and save money. One innovative resource is APS’s virtual power plant (VPP). 

What is a virtual power plant?
APS’s VPP is a partnership with customers, a network of thousands of customer-owned devices, like smart thermostats and home battery storage, that act as an energy resource and a collaborative way to reduce energy demand at peak times to balance supply and demand. The energy production this connection of smart technology avoids reduces the need to start up or build a traditional, physical power plant. This saves customers’ money, protects the environment and increases overall grid reliability. 

The APS Cool Rewards program fuels the VPP. This opt-in program pays customers to voluntarily conserve energy during the times of day when demand is highest.

• Customers receive $85 in bill credits the first year they enroll, and $35 the following years they participate.
• On a limited number of days, enrolled customers will be notified their thermostats will adjust up or down a few degrees for a set amount of time that day.
• With over 90,000 thermostats currently enrolled in Cool Rewards, the impact of that slight adjustment takes 140 megawatts (MW) of energy demand off the grid is similar to what a small power plant produces and enough to serve about 22,000 Arizona homes. (For context, 1 MW of energy can power about 160 homes in Arizona.)
• Customers can opt out at any time by manually adjusting their thermostat to a desired temperature, at no penalty.

“Arizona is experiencing incredible growth in both the residential and industrial sectors,” says Kerri Carnes, APS Director of Customer Technology. “APS is well positioned to meet our customers’ growing energy needs, and programs like Cool Rewards help not only meet energy demand but do so in a way that serves Arizonans more efficiently. Our virtual power plant is a triple win, benefitting our customers, the grid and the environment.”

Powering the VPP
Additional VPP programs combine with APS Cool Rewards to remove 190 MW of energy off the grid and save customers’ money:  

• Energy Savings Days – On certain days, customers who are not enrolled in Cool Rewards are encouraged to voluntarily conserve energy with easy ways to do so at home. They receive a report showing how much energy they saved by making those simple changes.
• Residential Battery Pilot – In this pilot program, participating customers’ home battery devices dispatch energy back to the power grid on certain days.
• Peak Solutions – Participating business customers agree to reduce energy use during times of high demand. 

APS will continue to expand VPP sources by exploring how other smart home devices can work with the program. Learn more about technology and innovation by visiting aps.com/tech.

APS is the state’s leader in clean energy
To keep pace with growing energy needs, APS is optimizing existing resources and making significant investments in cost-competitive clean energy on the path to serving customers with 100% clean and carbon-free energy by 2050. Some of the steps APS is taking to reach that goal include:

• By 2027, APS will seek to add more than 6,000 MW of solar and wind power, coupled with battery storage, which will provide the greatest long-term value and affordability to customers.
• In 2024 alone, APS has added 216 MW of large-scale wind energy and an additional 215 MW of large-scale solar.
• APS ranks fifth nationally for the percentage of residential customers with rooftop solar.
• In 2023, 22% of the energy delivered to APS customers was produced by Palo Verde Generating Station, one of the largest and clean energy resources in the country.

Visit aps.com/clean for more information.

Aaron Stafford, an Arizona native born and raised in Chino Valley, has spent his career working some of the toughest and most intense jobs. For 15 years, Aaron served the Prescott National Forest in several roles, including as a Prescott hotshot, where sweat, smoke and hiking rugged terrain while fighting blazing wildfires was just part of the job. Aaron is now climbing to new heights to become an APS lineworker where he will continue to serve Arizonans.

At the national forest, Aaron responded to several large-scale incidents, including the Wallow, Goodwin and Horseshoe 2 fires. There, he cultivated an expertise in fire behavior and response and developed skills like critical thinking, problem solving, learning how to create solutions and trusting your team during challenging situations.

"My time on the Prescott Hotshots was foundational. I developed so much from being on a crew. When you’re out working a fire, the situations you confront are dynamic, and you have to learn how to overcome obstacles quickly and strategically. Many times, you’re out in the forest with your crew away from home for days. That's when you really realize the importance of clear communication, teamwork, flexibility and resilience," shared Aaron.

When it came to Aaron exploring the next chapter in his career, he bridged his skillset and joined APS’s fire mitigation team. As a fire mitigation specialist, Aaron used his fire knowledge and relationships with fire agencies and first responders to help keep communities, firefighters and more than 38,000 miles of powerlines safe from Arizona’s growing fire risk.

While he found his work rewarding, there was something missing for Aaron, and it came down to the close-knit experience of working on a crew, the tough physical exertion of the job and the duty of serving Arizona’s communities on the frontlines – all factors Aaron knew well from his time as a wildland firefighter.

That’s why earlier this year, Aaron made the decision to make the switch to a different type of crew and began his formal training as a pre-apprentice lineworker six months ago.

"The thought of learning a new trade from the ground up sounded like a challenge, but ultimately it was a decision that has a lot of cross-over with my time as a hotshot. A wildland firefighter and an APS lineworker both require mental and physical strength," said Aaron.

Over the next several months, as part of APS's Pre-Apprenticeship Program, Aaron will travel across the state and will learn how to safely climb power poles, operate bucket trucks, perform maintenance and repairs on electrical infrastructure and learn how to build parts of the electric grid from seasoned journeyman lineworkers.

APS offers a paid one-year apprenticeship program that includes classroom and on-the-job training. Following successful completion of the pre-apprenticeship, applicants are welcome to apply for a position on APS's award-winning, four-year apprenticeship program. Applications for the 2025 pre-apprentice hiring cycle will open at the end of October. A virtual information session will be offered on Oct. 2 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. MST.

When asked what he finds most meaningful about serving Arizona, Aaron shares, “As a wildland firefighter, you work hard with your crew to keep a fire from spreading and protect public safety. As a lineworker, you work hard with your crew to get the lights back on for a community after damaging weather, like monsoon storms. The level of commitment and working hard and safely with your team is where I make the connection.”

For more information on requirements, how to apply to APS' Pre-Apprenticeship Program and to register for the virtual information session, visit aps.com/apprentice.

APS customers set a new peak energy demand record by using 8,212 megawatts (MW) of power on Sunday, Aug. 4, according to preliminary figures. Peak demand is the period of time when customer energy use is at its highest.

Last Sunday’s demand for electricity beat last year’s record of 8,162 MW, set on Saturday, July 15, 2023, demonstrating the resilience and value of the APS grid to customers.

“We are committed to providing our customers with reliable energy – especially during the heat of summer,” said Ted Geisler, APS President. “I’m proud of our employees who work hard to maintain a reliable power grid and respond to the impact of monsoon storms. These team members dedicate their efforts year-round to expanding and maintaining the grid so power is there when customers need it most. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve our customers during yet another record-breaking summer.”

Why is energy demand increasing?

Many factors contribute to Arizona’s increased electricity use, including temperatures, humidity and the state’s growing business community and residential population.

By 2031, APS anticipates its customers will require more than 13,000 MW of energy, and that peak demand will grow by approximately 40%. Today, APS maintains a supply of more than 9,740 MW of energy to meet customer needs adequately.

How does APS provide reliable power?

The strength of Arizona’s power grid comes from a balanced and diverse energy mix. APS plans years in advance to secure and maintain a variety of resources like solar and wind power, battery energy storage and flexible natural gas generation that can ramp up quickly to keep customers cool and comfortable during hot summer days when energy demand is highest. APS customers also benefit from the Palo Verde Generating Station, one of the nation’s largest producers of clean, carbon-free electricity.

APS crews regularly maintain more than 38,000 miles of power lines, upgrade equipment and use advanced technology, including drones and robots to identify potential issues before they result in power outages. This proactive, year-round approach to maintaining APS’s smart grid across Arizona’s diverse geography provides customers with some of the most reliable power in the country.

How can customers save money on summer energy bills?

While APS is well prepared to serve customers all summer, conserving power can help customers reduce energy bills while supporting grid reliability.

• For those on APS time-of-use plans, (“Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays” and “Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays with Demand Charge”), try pre-cooling your home. Set your thermostat a few degrees lower than normal before 4 p.m. and then set it a few degrees higher than normal during the on-peak period of 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Think 1, 2, 3 and turn your thermostat up a few degrees. For every one degree you raise your thermostat, you can save 2-3% on energy cooling costs. (When on vacation, turn it up more.)
• Use a smart thermostat to “set it and forget it.” We offer special rebates and discounts on the APS Marketplace.
• Close curtains and blinds during the day to block out the sun and hot temperature, especially in rooms that get a lot of sun or if your windows are older and less energy efficient.
• Use fans to feel up to 5 degrees cooler. Set ceiling fans to run counterclockwise and remember fans cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when you leave.
• Earn bill credits. Join APS Cool Rewards (residential) or APS Peak Solutions (business) – programs that reward customers for conserving energy during times when usage is highest.
• Switch to LED lighting. LED bulbs emit 90% less heat and use at least 75% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs.
• Limit oven use. When possible, use the microwave, toaster oven or outdoor grill instead. Using the oven heats your home, which makes your air conditioner work harder.
• Stay informed. Use the APS mobile app and aps.com to monitor and manage your energy use and to learn more energy-saving tips customized to your service plan.

Visit aps.com/tips for more ways to save and learn more about assistance programs and heat relief resources at aps.com/assistance.

APS is prepared to meet the energy needs of its approximately 1.4 million customers during Arizona’s long, hot summers and all year long. Providing reliable power that’s also affordable is possible due to long-term planning, innovation and maintaining a diverse mix energy resources.

APS’s mix includes renewables like solar, wind and energy storage and clean, nuclear energy, along with traditional resources that can ramp up quickly when temperatures rise and air conditioners run. There’s also a special virtual power plant which APS operates in partnership with customers. This is a network of smart home devices, like thermostats and batteries, designed to help save energy. The amount of energy customers conserve through APS’s various virtual power plant programs is equivalent to what a small, physical power plant can produce. That energy avoidance saves customers’ money, protects the environment and increases grid reliability.

Kerri Carnes, who leads customer technology efforts at APS, recently discussed the creation and importance of the virtual power plant with Power Magazine:

“It was important for us to make sure that customers understand that we view this as an incredibly important part of maintaining reliability and affordability for our customers every summer. But at the end of the day, they retain control.”

You can read the full article here.

APS Cool Rewards helps fuel the virtual power plant and APS pays them to participate by using less energy with small, temporary adjustments to their smart thermostat during the hottest days of the year. Customers who enroll in the program can earn up to $85 in bill credits the first year. They can opt out by adjusting their thermostat at any time with their mobile device, web browser or thermostat.

As air conditioners buzz across Arizona, this is an especially good time to recognize those crucial to keeping the power on. It takes a team of people who plan and prepare for our state’s extreme summers and it’s the dedicated lineworkers who operate in the thick of it. And while we salute them every day, July 10 is National Lineworker Appreciation Day.

Lineworkers construct and maintain overhead and underground powerlines and poles, utilize large equipment, and work in often challenging conditions: extreme heat, humidity, rain, rough or muddy terrain and areas that can’t be reached by truck, so they may have to access infrastructure by ATV, helicopter or even hiking in on foot with their gear.  

APS lineworkers maintain more than 35,000 miles of lines that power communities from Douglas to Yuma to Holbrook and beyond. They perform a crucial role in ensuring the smooth operations of our lines so the approximately 1.4 million homes and businesses APS serves have reliable and affordable energy.

Being a lineworker requires both mental and physical strength and apprentices go through five years of training before joining an APS crews. Safety is always top of mind. Crews stay hydrated, perform regular safety check-ins and look out for one another. In addition to building and maintaining the grid, they are considered first responders during storms and other events that may impact the electrical system. They stand ready to deploy to power outages, repair damage and work around-the-clock to get the power back on as quickly and safely as they can.

The efforts of these essential workers often go unnoticed, but perhaps the next time you flip a light switch or hear your air conditioner kick on, you’ll think of the lineworkers who help make it possible and if you’re so inclined, join in showing appreciation by using the hashtag #ThankALineworker on your favorite social media platform.

APS filed the 2023 APS Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) at the Arizona Corporation Commission today. It includes strategic years-ahead planning to continue to provide customers a reliable power supply well into the future. The 2023 IRP provides a 15-year outlook on how much electricity APS customers will need and what investments are necessary to address those needs with around-the-clock energy amid unprecedented growth of people and businesses moving to Arizona.

APS worked with its Resource Planning Advisory Council (RPAC), a stakeholder group that includes local consumer advocates, university researchers, resource developers and environmental and public interest organizations. This group participated in meetings and workshops over the last year to incorporate transparency, diverse perspectives and extensive dialogue into the integrated resource planning process.

 “Our state is growing rapidly and when we think about how important reliable power is for customers, and especially considering the unique challenges Arizona’s summers bring, it’s critical we plan years in advance,” said Jacob Tetlow, APS Executive Vice President of Operations. “Our team has worked collaboratively with a diverse group of stakeholders to develop the 2023 IRP and find pathways to continue to provide top-tier reliability, while maintaining affordable rates, for our customers well into the future.”

How much power will APS customers need in the future?

APS resource planners used extensive modeling and data analysis to develop forecast projections for energy demand. For perspective, today, APS customers benefit from almost 9,400 megawatts (MW) of available electricity, an amount the energy company reached over the span of nearly 140 years since it began serving customers. Thanks to previous planning, that supply was available and served around-the-clock use of air conditioning by homes and businesses during the record-breaking 2023 summer heat wave. 

 Looking ahead, the modeling shows:

• By the end of 2027, APS customers will need about 11,350 MW, an amount equivalent to what it takes to serve about 1.8 million Arizona homes.
• By 2031, APS customers will require a total of more than 13,000 MW and peak demand will grow by about 40%. Peak demand is a period of time when customer energy use is at its highest.
• By 2038, APS customers will need more than 14,820 MW of electricity.

What’s driving the need for more energy?

Arizona is experiencing a boom in growth and development and the state’s population is expected to increase an average of more than 1.3% annually. That translates to about 23,000 new APS customers each year. Individual customers are using more electricity, too, not only with their air conditioners to keep cool in the summer heat but also as they utilize more devices and products that are powered by electricity. As drivers continue to make the switch from gas-powered cars and trucks to electric, charging those vehicles will also contribute to increased energy use. By 2037, APS forecasts more than one million EVs in its service territory. In addition to residential customer growth, large businesses like manufacturing companies and data centers are moving to and expanding in APS’s service territory – a trend taking place in other parts of the country as well.

Where will additional reliable power come from to serve APS customers?

To keep up with this level of energy demand, APS will make necessary investments so customers can continue to benefit from a strong and reliable power supply that is transitioning to 100% clean and carbon-free by 2050. Over the next several years, APS customers will benefit from careful planning that ensures reliability, maintains affordability and secures increasing amounts of cost-effective renewable energy. By 2027, APS will seek to add more than 6,000 MW of solar and wind power, coupled with battery storage, which will provide the greatest long-term value and affordability to customers. With this technology, APS can capture that clean renewable energy and store it for customers to use later, when the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing.

Maintaining a balanced energy mix will be critical to keeping the lights on as APS plans to exit from coal-fired electricity generation in 2031. During our transition from legacy coal facilities, APS will utilize flexible natural gas resources that can ramp up quickly during times of the day when customers need electricity the most and make use of existing infrastructure to maintain customer affordability.

As owner and operator of Palo Verde Generating Station, the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free electricity, and with one of the country’s most substantial renewable energy portfolios, APS’s current energy mix is already 51% clean and includes renewable energy technologies and traditional energy resources that keep power flowing to customers 24/7.

To learn more about the IRP and Arizona’s energy future, visit aps.com/resources. 

APS hosts the Key Supplier Forum and Awards to recognize outstanding supplier partners that provide exceptional service and help us deliver on our mission to provide reliable, affordable and clean energy to our customers. This event was held in person for the first time since 2019 at the Great Arizona Puppet Theater.

“Our suppliers play a critical role in supporting our mission to serve clean, reliable and affordable energy to our customers. We value their partnership,” said Lisa Carrington, director, Procurement, during her opening remarks.

Supplier Excellence Awards

Award winners were nominated by APS business units for outstanding contributions in six key focus areas: performance, safety, customer service, environmental stewardship, value-add relationship and community/diversity. The following suppliers were selected as the 2023 Supplier Excellence Award winners:

• Dooley Construction Solutions (community/diversity) for their delivery of a first-of-its-kind census of unelectrified buildings on the Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation within APS service territory.
• HPI (safety) for performing turbine maintenance on every legacy turbine not covered by a long-term service agreement with no safety incidences.
• Bunney’s (value-add relationship) for their support on key projects at Palo Verde Generating Station to improve site performance and safety.
• Valmont (customer service) for providing a critical supply line for poles during the summer of 2022 when utility crews worked to replace more than 800 damaged power poles, nearly a 3X increase in pole replacements over an average storm season.
• McCarthy (performance) for delivering a critical construction project that integrates four key APS sites into one. They did this on time, on budget, and in an environment of inflationary pressure and highly unpredictable supply chain breakdowns.
• Tierney Technical Services (environmental sustainability) for maintaining and monitoring all Continuous Emission Monitoring (CEMS ) equipment at Cholla Power Plant, while also supporting all required environmental reporting requirements for air permitting.

During the hottest July in Arizona history, APS customers were served with reliable energy that allowed them to keep their air conditioners running when they needed it most. In fact, the brutal July heat led to APS customers setting a new all-time record for energy demand.

“APS customers count on a reliable electric grid year-round, especially during the summer,” said Jacob Tetlow, APS Executive Vice President of Operations. “This summer's heat wave served as a reminder that our energy system can stand up to not just one hot summer day, but long stretches of extreme heat. This is all thanks to the proactive and careful planning by our skilled crews, resource planners and operators who work every day to keep the power on for our customers."

Highlights from 2023’s record-breaking summer:

 18 days of record peak energy use during 110+ temperatures

APS customers made history by reaching a new all-time record for most electricity used in a single hour and sustaining high demand for energy through the latter half of summer. Customers previously set a record on July 30, 2020 with 7,660 megawatts (MW) of energy used at the same time. This year, APS customers:

• Shattered the 2020 record by reaching a new all-time peak on Saturday, July 15 with 8,162 MW. (A preliminary number was shared in an earlier news release.)
• Exceeded the 2020 peak of 7,660 MW on 18 different days in July and August 2023.
• Used more energy than the 2020 peak record over a streak of nine days straight.

To put this amount of energy into perspective, those megawatts are equivalent to more than 1.4 million customers running their air conditioners around-the-clock to keep homes and businesses comfortable, and hundreds of thousands of swimming pool pumps and chillers keeping pools cool. As Arizona continues to grow, the things that make everyday life in the desert convenient and comfortable will require more electricity.

 “We have prepared years in advance for this increased volume of energy demand, so it did not come as a surprise. Our resource planning team monitors customer growth and weather patterns and utilizes a diverse mix of energy sources from renewables and nuclear to flexible natural gas and as expected, our employees and our power grid delivered for our customers,” said Tetlow.

Customers participating in APS Cool Rewards helped maintain grid reliability, while earning bill credits for voluntarily reducing their energy use. A community of more than 58,000 customers and about 80,000 smart thermostats act like a virtual power plant to save energy. This summer, participating customers conserved a record 135 MW of power – the equivalent of what a small power plant produces. For comparison, customers in the program decreased energy use by about 110 MW last summer.

Looking ahead, APS resource planners are already crunching the numbers on what energy use will look like next summer and those that follow. As more people and businesses call Arizona home, energy use will grow too, and over the next eight years that growth is predicted to be approximately 40%. With that in mind, the APS team is working to ensure service continues to be reliable and affordable for customers, with a focus on thoughtful power generation. APS’s current energy portfolio is 51% clean and includes Palo Verde Generating Station, the largest producer of carbon-free energy in the country, solar and wind power, along with traditional resources that ramp up quickly during hot summers.

 Emergency response efforts

After a wet winter, monsoon storms were sparse but packed a punch with damaging wind speeds up to 80 mph. Across Arizona, APS crews were staged and ready to respond to downed power poles and lines in neighborhoods and rural, rugged areas. During the months of May through September, crews typically replace about 290 poles damaged by storms. With storms arriving late this year, crews replaced about 125 poles, a number much lower than average and stark in comparison to last year’s historic season in which APS replaced a record 811 damaged poles.

Wildfire activity had less impact to APS infrastructure this year compared to years past. As a result of APS’s fire mitigation efforts and where fires occurred, there was less risk to power lines. Each year, crews maintain more than 38,000 miles of APS power lines, clear vegetation and use advanced smart technology like drones and robots to detect issues with equipment before they cause problems. APS’s team of experts in fire behavior, forestry, and meteorology monitors fire outlooks and weather patterns, partners with first responders and strengthens plans to continue to provide the safest and most reliable service to customers.

On top of annual maintenance to keep the electric system resilient against extreme weather, being prepared and ready also meant APS crews quickly responded when other issues arose. Especially with the increased temperatures, they worked to keep power outages to a minimum when objects like tarps and trampolines blew into lines, vehicles crashed into poles or construction workers unintentionally dug up power lines.

PHOENIX – Arizona Public Service (APS) customers can celebrate National Clean Energy Week (Sept. 25-29), knowing they play a key role in protecting Arizona’s environment and creating a clean energy future for our state. APS is making steady progress on the path to powering homes and businesses with electricity that is 100% clean and carbon-free. Clean resources, as part of a diverse energy mix, are among the most affordable options today and provide strong value for customers over the long term.

This summer, APS flipped the switch on its largest solar power plant. The Agave Solar Plant southwest of Phoenix is providing 150 megawatts (MW) of capacity to the APS electric system. That’s enough power for 24,000 homes.

“With 400,000 panels tracking the sun across the sky, soaking it up and converting it into electricity for customers, Agave Solar Plant is a new resource in our energy mix. Combined with other renewables and Palo Verde Generating Station, the largest nuclear plant and clean energy resource in the country, APS is already more than 50% clean today”, said APS President Ted Geisler. “Most importantly, we are transitioning to 100% clean in a manner that prioritizes reliability and affordability, maintaining a balanced energy supply to ensure customers have the power when they need it most.”Here are other highlights on APS’s path to a reliable, affordable and clean energy future for Arizona:

• Generating clean energy for nearly four decades -- Palo Verde Generating Station is the nation’s largest single source of electricity of any kind. Palo Verde generates 100% clean, carbon-free electricity 24 hours a day, seven days a week, powering four million homes and businesses in the desert Southwest. It is the cornerstone of APS’s Clean Energy Commitment.
• Delivering solar after sunset -- Solar-generated electricity can be stored and then released to serve customers on cloudy days and at night, when the sun isn’t shining. Energy storage is part of APS’s ‘all of the above’ approach to generation resources, helping ensure reliability during the record-setting heat wave in July. Nine new energy storage projects are providing about 200 MW of power, enough to serve 32,000 Arizona homes for three to four hours.
• Helping Arizona businesses go green -- To support Arizona’s business community, APS’s new Green Power Partners program provides businesses with special options to reach their sustainability goals and transition to 100% clean operations, positively impacting the environment through renewable energy options.

Creating virtual power plants -- Innovative programs like APS Cool Rewards provide customers with the opportunity to partner with APS to save money, protect the environment and strengthen the electric grid. Customers earn bill credits by voluntarily conserving energy on Arizona’s hottest summer days. With more than 58,000 customers (and 80,000 smart thermostats) in the Cool Rewards community, this program acts like a virtual power plant to reduce electric demand by more than 130 megawatts of electricity - an equivalent amount to what a small power plant might produce.

When you think of Winslow, Arizona, you might start singing “Standing on a corner…” – that famous lyric from the Eagles’ hit song “Take It Easy.”

Approximately 20 miles south of that corner is Chevelon Butte Ranch, one of Arizona’s oldest working cattle ranches – and now, Arizona’s newest operating site for clean, renewable energy.

The Chevelon Butte wind farm is a project that shows the power of partnerships.

The first new large-scale wind facility to be built in Northern Arizona in a decade, it’s a project that resulted from our competitive procurement process, which enables us to evaluate diverse and affordable resource options to best serve customers and meet the energy needs of our growing state. The AES Corporation (AES) developed and owns and operates the Chevelon Butte wind farm, and APS purchases the power generated through a 20-year power purchase agreement.

While operating on a working cattle ranch, the Chevelon Butte wind farm helps preserve century-old ranching traditions, generates economic benefits for the residents and local communities of Coconino and Navajo counties, and supplies energy to power Arizona homes.

“The energy from this wind farm can power APS customers when we need it most – after the sun goes down but customer need is high,” said Justin Joiner, APS Vice President of Resource Management. “Keeping the lights on for our customers is what we strategize years in advance and plan for year-round. With abundant solar power on our system during the day, the Chevelon Butte wind farm will support reliable service with its flexibility and increased production during the evening and overnight hours.”

“The Chevelon Butte wind project is a significant investment in the state’s economy and will be Arizona’s largest utility-scale wind farm,” said Trupti Kalbag, Vice President of Origination and Commercial Execution for AES. “APS customers will receive reliable, clean power from the innovative project alongside the economic benefit it is bringing to communities across the state.”

When the second phase is completed in 2024, the Chevelon Butte project will more than double APS’s existing wind power supply – helping advance our 51% clean resource portfolio on the road to achieving our goal to deliver 100% clean energy to our customers by 2050.

The same land that’s fed Arizona’s ranching economy for more than a century now powers Arizona and fuels progress toward a clean energy future for generations to come.

With record-setting July temperatures and more soaring temperatures in the forecast, Arizona Public Service (APS) customers are benefitting from solar energy at night, thanks to nine large-scale energy storage systems connected to existing APS solar power plants. As customer energy use broke records, these systems helped support the grid during peak hours.

Solar after sunset helps balance the electric system, improving reliability and resiliency while maximizing renewable resources. These systems capture and store excess clean solar energy when the Arizona sun is shining bright, for use on cloudy days or after sunset to meet customers’ needs.

“When families are making dinner or watching TV in the evening, they need the lights to be on and the air conditioner running,” said Ben Cluff, APS Director of Renewable Generation. “Solar after sunset helps enhance reliability when our customers need it most. We just came through the worst heatwave in Phoenix history, delivering reliable electricity, and serving our customers with this exciting new technology as part of APS’s all-of the-above approach in maintaining a diverse mix of energy.”

So how much energy will these new systems provide? The nine locations will provide about 200 megawatts (MW) of power, enough to serve 32,000 Arizona homes for 3-4 hours. For reference, one MW is about enough to power 160 homes in Arizona. On top of that, 13 more energy storage systems are planned in the next two years through power purchase agreements. Those systems will bring more than 2,000 additional megawatts to the grid, supplying another 320,000+ homes with electricity.

 APS Solar Power Plants and Energy Storage Facilities

                                 Size                 Location

Chino Valley          17MW             N. of Prescott

Cotton Center       17MW            N. of Gila Bend

Desert Star            10MW             S. of Buckeye

Foothills                 35MW            Yuma

Gila Bend               32MW            Gila Bend

Hyder I & II            30MW            Hyder

Paloma                   17MW            N. of Gila Bend

Red Rock                41MW            Red Rock

With more than 1.3 million homes and businesses using electricity to keep cool during Arizona’s record heat wave, APS customers have again made history, setting a new peak for the most energy used. Customer energy use reached 8,193 megawatts (MW) Thursday, July 20. One megawatt powers roughly 160 homes.

Thursday’s energy use surpassed the all-time peak set just five days earlier on Saturday, July 15. Starting Friday, July 14, APS customers recorded the seven highest peak days ever. The previous peak demand was 7,660 MW set on July 30, 2020.

“Despite historic levels of energy usage, APS and its customers experienced no issues related to power supply; and that does not happen by accident. It takes years of planning, maintaining a diverse energy mix, investing in and strengthening the electric system, and most importantly teams of people who are dedicated to keeping the lights on for customers when they need us most,” said Ted Geisler, APS President. “Arizona summers can be brutal, and APS is here to serve and ready to respond every day whether we’re faced with heat, monsoon storms, wildfires or all of the above.”

Ready to respond

Being prepared and ready also means APS crews are on standby, strategically staged across APS service territory, to quickly respond when issues arise. Objects that make contact with electric equipment are a common cause of power outages – often, it’s when drivers hit equipment, a tree falls onto a power line or wind blows unsecured items like tarps, or even trampolines into power lines. Just this week, several outages were caused by construction workers who unintentionally dug into APS power lines underground. APS crews dispatched quickly; and safely restored power.

The combination of extremely high temperatures and customers using more electricity than ever before to crank up their ACs, also puts extra pressure on the grid. With monsoon storms in the forecast, Mother Nature may throw high winds and lightning into the mix, which have the potential to knock out power.

Safety first

The safety of APS employees, customers and the public is paramount. APS field crews are prepared to work in challenging conditions, stay hydrated and perform regular health and safety check-ins. We encourage customers to be ready too, stay hydrated and look out for one another, checking in on the elderly, children and pets.

For tips on how to be ready in case of a power outage, what to do during an outage or view the APS outage map, visit the APS app or aps.com/outagecenter.

APS is here to help with ways to save and bill assistance

APS customers consume the most energy from 4-7 p.m. so if customers can conserve energy, that’s the best time to do it. In fact, each day’s peak this week was reached between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Being more efficient with energy during that time not only saves money, it helps the environment, and supports a reliable energy grid. In fact, the APS Time-of Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays and Time of Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays with Demand Charge rate plans are designed to reward customers who shift energy use to the 21 hours outside of the on-peak window and all weekend long. Customers on the demand charge plan should also stagger the use of energy, especially major appliances like clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers and pool pumps during higher cost on-peak hours of 4pm-7pm weekdays.

Visit aps.com/plans to learn more about residential rate plans, aps.com/tips for ways to save money and aps.com/assistance  for assistance programs and heat relief resources.

PHOENIX – After 17 straight days of temperatures at or above 110 degrees and air conditioners cranking to keep Arizonans cool, Arizona Public Service (APS) customers demand reached 8,191 megawatts (MW) on Saturday, July 15. That set the peak for the most electricity used at once in APS history.

“APS is ranked as one of the most reliable electric utilities in the country, and during this heatwave when customers need us the most, we deliver with dependable, around-the-clock electricity,” said Ted Geisler, APS President. “I'm very proud of the entire APS team – from the planners who start strategizing years in advance to our operators, customer care team and field crews who showed up during extreme conditions for Arizonans and met their record-breaking demand for power.”

APS customers first made history Friday, July 14, shattering the previous energy demand record, set in 2020. APS Vice President of Resource Management Justin Joiner said multiple factors contribute to increases in electricity use, including temperatures, humidity and more people and businesses moving to Arizona.

“On days when the temperature is sweltering, we take an all-of-the-above approach. We’re using all the tools in our toolbox— from solar power to natural gas— to make sure customers can count on us for electricity every second of the day,” said Joiner. “Our power plants are running smoothly, and the energy supply is robust. That’s what proactive, year-round planning looks like.”

Here’s a look at the numbers:

• APS’s prior all-time record was 7,660 MW set on July 30, 2020.
• On Friday, July 14, customers surpassed the record, using 7,798 MW of energy.
• Friday’s record was broken Saturday, July 15, with 8,191 MW of energy consumed at once, resulting in the highest amount of combined energy use in APS history.
• Sunday, July 16, customers’ peak energy demand was 7,962 MW, well above the peak set in 2020, and above Friday’s peak, but not enough to break the new all-time peak set Saturday.

How APS Maintains Power Supply

APS plans years in advance to continue serving customers with reliable and affordable energy. Resource planners secure a diverse energy mix to meet demand, like solar and wind power, battery energy storage and the APS-operated Palo Verde Generating Station, the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S. and the country’s largest producer of clean energy. When temperatures cause demand to increase, APS’s strength and resilience comes from utilizing flexible resources like natural gas to keep homes and businesses cool over long stretches of extreme heat temperatures.

 Each year APS invests more than $1.5 billion to maintain and upgrade the grid, replacing aging electrical equipment and installing new technology. APS crews maintain more than 38,000 miles of power lines and use advanced smart technology as well as drones and robots to detect potential issues with equipment before they cause problems.

Customer Tips as Summer Heat Continues

APS customers typically use the most power between the hours of 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. While APS is well prepared to deliver the energy customers need as summer continues, conserving power during peak hours of the day can help customers reduce energy bills while supporting grid reliability.

• For those on APS time-of-use plans, (Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays and Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays with Demand Charge), try pre-cooling your home. Set your thermostat a few degrees lower than normal before 4 p.m. and then set it a few degrees higher than normal during the on-peak period of 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Service your air conditioner annually to ensure it runs efficiently and change air filters monthly.
• Think 1, 2, 3 and turn your thermostat up a few degrees. For every one degree you raise your thermostat, you can save 2-3% on energy cooling costs. (When on vacation, turn it up more.)
• Use a smart thermostat to “set it and forget it.” We offer special rebates and discounts on the APS Marketplace.
• Close curtains and blinds during the day.
• Use fans to feel up to 5 degrees cooler. Set ceiling fans to run counterclockwise and remember fans cool people, not rooms, so turn off when you leave.
• Earn bill credits. Join APS Cool Rewards (residential) or APS Peak Solutions (business) – programs that reward customers for conserving energy during times when usage is highest.
• Switch to LED lighting. LED bulbs emit 90 percent less heat than traditional incandescent bulbs.
• Limit oven use; when possible, use the microwave, toaster oven or outdoor grill instead.
• Stay informed. Use the APS mobile app and aps.com to monitor and manage your energy use and to learn more energy-saving tips customized to your service plan.

Visit aps.com/tips for more ways to save and learn more about assistance programs and heat relief resources at aps.com/assistance.

PHOENIX – APS is ready and well prepared to meet the increased demand for energy as Arizonans endure triple digit heat and turn up their ACs. Through deliberate long-term planning, maintenance and upgrades to power plants and the electric grid, APS has sufficient generation resources, fuel supplies and a diverse energy mix to meet customers’ needs, even during an extreme heat wave.

“The summer is like our Super Bowl – we plan and practice for it year-round. We’re prepared for the potentially record-breaking stretch of 110+ degree days,” said Justin Joiner, APS Vice President of Resource Management. “Just like our crews prepare to stay safe during extreme temperatures, we encourage people to have a plan to stay safe. Stay hydrated and check on your neighbors and pets.”

Is the APS power grid ready?

APS starts planning years in advance for extreme heat. APS resource planners track the state’s growth, project customers’ energy needs, monitor forecasted summer temperatures and make sure there is enough power supply to keep AC units cranked.

Every year APS invests more than $1.5 billion to maintain and upgrade the grid, replacing aging electrical equipment and installing new technology to continue providing the reliable service customers count on.

Additionally, APS crews routinely monitor and patrol thousands of miles of poles and wires using advanced technology – from drones and robot dogs to infrared imaging – to detect potential issues with equipment before they cause problems.

Are APS customers breaking records?

Not yet.

APS customers typically use the most power during the hours of 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. They set an all-time record for the highest use of electricity at once – 7,660 megawatts – on July 30, 2020 during the 5 o’clock p.m. hour. 2020 was the hottest Arizona summer on record.

Last year, the highest energy use – 7,587 megawatts – occurred on July 11 during the 5 o’clock p.m. hour when the temperature hit 115 degrees and APS customers used more energy than any other time in 2022.

How is APS helping customers stay safe?

APS is keeping customers connected during the summer months. There will be no disconnections for past due residential accounts through mid-October. APS also continues to waive late fees for customers during this time period.

APS is partnering with non-profits to provide heat relief, including air conditioning repairs, emergency shelters, eviction protection and transportation services to cooling centers. Visit aps.com/assistance.

How can APS customers save on electric bills?

For those on APS time-of-use plans, (Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays and Time-of-Use 4pm-7pm Weekdays with Demand Charge), try pre-cooling your home. Set your thermostat a few degrees lower than normal before 4 p.m. and then set it a few degrees higher than normal during the on-peak period of 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. This helps keep your home comfortable as you save money. Avoid the use of major appliances like dryers, washers, dishwashers and pool pumps during on-peak hours, when customer energy use is in highest demand.

Customers on a fixed energy charge plan can save by raising thermostat settings a few degrees higher than typical – taking care not to sacrifice safety.  

Join APS Cool Rewards and APS Peak Solutions – two innovative customer programs that reward residential and business customers for reducing energy use during times of high energy demand on the APS grid. Visit aps.com/tips for more ways to save.

Is financial assistance available for customers?

If customers are behind on their bills, we want to help. We offer flexible payment arrangements for customers who need more time to pay. We encourage those experiencing financial difficulties to contact us through aps.com or call our 24/7 Customer Care Center at 602-371-7171 or (800-253-9405).

 Additionally, the following bill assistance programs are available to qualified customers:

• Energy Support: Limited-income customers can receive a bill discount each month – 25% for APS Energy Support and 35% for APS Energy Support with Medical.
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Community action agencies and other designated local providers offer federal programs to assist with energy bills.
• APS Crisis Bill Assistance: Up to $800 annually is available to help qualified limited-income customers with their APS bills if they are experiencing unexpected financial hardship such as a high medical bill or loss of a job.
• Safety Net: If a customer lives alone or relies on a support network, they can select a friend or relative to receive a bill and past-due reminders.
• Weatherization Assistance: This program helps qualified customers with support to make energy efficiency improvements at home and decrease their energy bills.
• Project SHARE: The Salvation Army administers the Service to Help Arizonans with Relief on Energy program, which provides up to $300 annually in emergency energy bill assistance to those facing severe financial hardship.

Arizona Public Service (APS) is bolstering its diverse power supply while maintaining the reliable service customers depend on to keep their air conditioning running on hot summer days and lights on year-round. In its 2023 All-Source Request for Proposal (RFP), APS is asking developers to submit project proposals for flexible and innovative energy resources that will fuel increasing power needs as more people and businesses move to Arizona.

This 2023 RFP comes on the heels of freshly inked agreements for new clean energy resources purchased through a 2022 All-Source RFP. Projects secured through the 2022 RFP will start to launch next year, as customers are expected to benefit from more than 1,050 megawatts (MW) of solar and wind power combined. In total, that’s enough energy to serve about 157,500 Arizona homes. New energy storage with a capacity to store more than 1,430 MW of power from the sun will also serve communities even after sunset.

“Our customers depend on us for top-quality service and we’re powering our state’s growth with our 2023 RFP and new clean energy projects coming online soon to continue to keep homes cool and electricity flowing to customers,” said Justin Joiner, APS Vice President of Resource Management.

With the 2023 All-Source RFP now open, it’s important for customers to know APS is:
 

• Addressing customer needs: APS plans to add approximately 1,000 MW to serve customers with even more around-the-clock power. This is enough electricity for about 150,000 Arizona homes.
• Adding more clean power: At least 700 MW will be earmarked for renewable energy projects, helping to advance our commitment to serve customers with 100% clean, carbon-free electricity by 2050 and growing a resource portfolio that is already 51% decarbonized.
• Maintaining reliable energy: APS customers benefit from smart energy investments. This solicitation advances clean energy, while keeping customers safe with reliable power. Developers can bid their unique energy projects or submit proposals to additional categories in the RFP to maximize existing power plant output. These include proposals like adding energy storage to APS’s Agave Solar Plant, developing renewable energy on the Navajo Nation or optimizing existing gas facilities as we transition to a cleaner energy supply.
• Serving customers: Our resource planners make sure we have the best combination of technologies for customers. All technologies are on the table and will be evaluated to support a diverse and affordable energy mix for Arizona. Project proposals may span from solar, wind and battery energy storage to natural gas resources that can transition to clean hydrogen fuel in the future to other resources that can ramp up quickly during triple-digit temperatures.
• Transparent and fair: This RFP is focused on projects that will be ready to serve customers as soon as 2026. Each project will be reviewed against a transparent and fair benchmark to ensure customer value. A third-party independent monitor will oversee this process. This RFP was developed in collaboration with the APS Resource Planning Advisory Council (RPAC) through an open stakeholder process.

To learn more about the 2023 All-Source RFP, deadlines and instructions to apply, visit aps.com/rfp.

 

Tens of thousands of people traveled to Arizona to experience the excitement around Super Bowl LVII and discovered what we already know: how special our state is.

As Arizona’s hometown energy service provider, we take great pride - and responsibility - in delivering reliable power to our 1.3 million customers. It’s what happened behind the glitz, glamour and game day that helped create a winning experience for our customers and visitors alike.

Key moves in our playbook include:

• Partnering with 150 government, public safety and other agencies, from emergency management and aviation to cybersecurity and neighboring utilities, to staff and monitor events to keep our electrical system safe, secure and reliable for fans and festivities. 
• Planning months in advance with proactive measures like inspecting substations and power lines. Through long-term planning and preventative maintenance, our crews work year-round to strengthen the power grid and keep the lights on for our customers. This work doesn’t just happen for a big event – it happens every day.
• Delivering on our commitment to build a sustainable future for Arizona by partnering with the Phoenix Convention Center to power the Super Bowl Fan Experience with 100% renewable energy. 
• Powering local entertainment and hospitality businesses that provided unique and vibrant experiences for thousands of visitors from across the country and those who call our community home. 
• And, supporting the communities we serve through impactful partnerships, such as community cleanups with the Super Bowl Host Committee, and filling backpacks for students in need with NFL players and Treasures for Teachers.

Delivering reliable energy has been the cornerstone of APS since we were founded in 1886 and will continue to be long after the championship confetti settles. Together with our customers and our communities, we power Arizona forward – on game day and every day. 

Arizona’s 2022 monsoon officially ended Sept. 30 and it’s one for the record books. The season’s record rain and high winds created widespread damage and power outages.

According to the National Weather Service, many areas of Arizona experienced up to 200% of normal monsoon rainfall amounts. Both Phoenix and Flagstaff saw above normal lightning strikes and wind gusts surpassed 70 and 80 MPH in various parts of the state, blowing down poles, power lines and even large transmission lattice towers that help carry electricity across the state.  

From May through September, Arizona Public Service (APS) crews replaced a record 811 damaged power poles. Picture this, if those poles were arranged end to end on the ground, they would measure seven miles long! APS crews typically replace approximately 290 poles during this four-month period. 

“We appreciate our customers’ patience during what was an unusually active monsoon season as many parts of our service territory experienced strong storms over an extended period of time,” said Tony Tewelis, Vice President of Transmission & Distribution for APS. “While extreme weather challenged the APS electric grid in a significant way, our extensive planning and investment to strengthen the system helped minimize disruptions to our customers during even the most powerful storms. When severe weather did knock out power, our dedicated crews worked day and night in rainy, hot, humid, muddy conditions to repair damage from high winds and lightning.”

In one week alone in mid-July, APS crews worked around the clock to replace more than 400 damaged power poles following a string of unusually strong storms across Arizona that hit the communities of Eloy, Arizona City and Douglas especially hard. 

“We understand all too well that monsoon storms can adversely impact customer service,” Tewelis said. “It’s our responsibility to do all that we can to prevent disruptions by developing innovative approaches to preventative maintenance, as well as careful planning and exhaustive training to prepare for the summer storm season.”

According to Tewelis, “Spot the Dog,” a robot equipped with an infrared camera to detect hot spots and perform inspections, and the use of drones to proactively inspect APS power lines and equipment in hard-to-reach places, are just two examples of many efforts to ensure customer reliability.

Watch Spot the robot inspector and see how APS uses drones.

This year, APS added a meteorologist to the team whose expertise helps forecast weather and wildfire conditions, events and potential impacts to electrical equipment. After every storm season, employees utilize lessons learned to improve strategies and operational plans in order to be ready for the next storm seaso

While the calendar says summer starts June 21, the weather forecast for many areas of our state says it’s already here. Through long-term and year-round planning and maintenance, APS is well-prepared to meet the increased need for electricity as temperatures rise and Arizonans turn up the AC. Our crews are reliably making and delivering power to homes and businesses, and we have an adequate supply of energy. 

Customers can stay cool and comfortable with simple tips to help save energy and money: 

• Shift energy use away from the late afternoon and evening hours (on-peak hours, for those on a time-of-use plan) when electricity is in highest demand and costs more.
• Close curtains and blinds during the day.
• Use fans to feel up to 5 degrees cooler. Set ceiling fans to run counterclockwise and remember fans cool people, not rooms, so turn off when you leave.
• Service your air conditioner annually to ensure it operates efficiently and change your air filters monthly.
• Think 1, 2, 3 and turn your thermostat up a few degrees. For every one degree you raise your thermostat, you can save 2-3% on energy cooling costs. (When on vacation, turn it up more.)
• Use a smart thermostat to “set it and forget it”. We offer it free. Just pay shipping and taxes.
• On a time-of-use plan? Try pre-cooling your home during off-peak hours.
• Join APS Cool Rewards (residential) or APS Peak Solutions (business) – programs that reward customers for conserving energy during times when usage is highest.
• Switch to LED lighting. LED bulbs last at least 15 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs and emit 90 percent less heat.
• Limit oven use; when possible, use the microwave, toaster oven or outdoor grill instead.
• Visit aps.com/checkup for information on APS Home Energy Check-up options or to schedule an appointment for an energy assessment of your home.
• Be in the know. Use the APS mobile app and aps.com to monitor and manage your energy use and to learn more energy-saving tips customized to your service plan.

APS is keeping customers connected during the summer months. If you are behind on your bills, we want to help you get caught up. Residential service disconnections for non-payment are suspended and late fees waived through Oct. 15, 2022. Customers will continue to receive monthly bills and remain responsible for making timely payments. We offer flexible payment arrangements for customers who need more time to pay.

Bill assistance programs available to qualified customers include:

• Energy Support programs: Limited-income customers receive a bill discount each month – 25% for APS Energy Support and 35% for Energy Support with Medical. 
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): Community Action Programs and other designated local providers offer federal programs to assist with energy bills.
• APS Crisis Bill Assistance: Up to $800 annually is available to help qualified limited-income customers with their APS bills if they are experiencing unexpected financial hardship such as a high medical bill or loss of a job. 
• Project SHARE: The Salvation Army administers the Service to Help Arizonans with Relief on Energy program, which provides up to $300 annually in emergency energy bill assistance to those facing severe financial hardship.
• Location-based support: Customers can connect to additional programs, including rent and utility bill assistance, based on where they live through 211 Arizona.

To help our state’s most vulnerable populations, APS is partnering with local organizations to provide heat-relief assistance: 

• Emergency Shelter & Eviction-Protection Program – In partnership with St. Vincent de Paul, APS will help ensure families have a place to seek shelter either at home through eviction-prevention assistance or at their summer emergency shelter.
• Cooling and Hydration Stations – APS will support the statewide network of The Salvation Army’s cooling and hydration stations with 18 sites throughout Arizona.
• 2-1-1 Arizona Transportation Program – Filling the transportation gap that exists for many when attempting to seek shelter from the heat, Solari, Inc. is partnering with Lyft and APS to provide free rides to the nearest cooling shelter for eligible Arizonans who call 2-1-1 Arizona for assistance.
• Healthy Homes Air Conditioning Program – In partnership with Foundation for Senior Living, APS will help address heat-related health hazards for vulnerable households in Maricopa, Yuma and La Paz counties by supporting emergency repair or replacement of air conditioning systems during the hot summer months.

Customers can learn more about support resources and heat-relief initiatives on aps.com/assistance or contact the APS Customer Care Center. Advisors are available to assist in English and Spanish 24/7 at (602) 371-7171 or (800) 253-9405.

As more people and companies move in record numbers to the state, Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) customers will have cleaner electricity to power their lives and businesses through a new 2022 All Source Request for Proposals (RFP). Since announcing its Clean Energy Commitment in 2020, the utility is adding more than one gigawatt (GW) of clean energy resources to its diverse power supply. While Arizona continues to have hotter summers and rapid population and economic growth, APS is looking ahead at future customer needs and issuing a new RFP developed in partnership with the APS Resource Planning Advisory Council (RPAC).

“Arizona is one of the fastest growing states in the country and the power we provide communities and businesses is the backbone of our state’s prosperity, safety and well-being,” said Justin Joiner, APS Vice President of Resource Management. “There’s a historic population boom happening and it’s our job to plan and invest in an affordable energy future with long-term sustainability and reliability our customers can count on 24/7, 365 days a year.”

Formed in 2021, the APS RPAC includes local consumer advocates, university representatives, and environmental and public interest organizations. Originally created to support the utility’s integrated resource planning, this group participated in a transparent and flexible meeting and workshop series to develop the new All Source RFP. This broad market solicitation will help APS exit from coal-fired generation by 2031 and maintain adequate power supply to serve customers.

“To get the right combination of resources, we need collaboration. The stakeholder advisory council shared important, diverse perspectives that we incorporated into the design of our new RFP. Together, we’re finding solutions to the resource complexities unfolding in the West and the driving energy demand on our system,” Joiner described.

2022 All Source RFP:

APS is conducting an All Source RFP to meet the power needs of residential and business customers with affordable, reliable and clean electricity through the 2025-2027 time frame.

“While a traditional RFP spells out the specific resources needed, with an All Source RFP, we will consider any demand-side, electric or energy storage resource. This provides more flexibility and innovation in the options proposed,” Joiner explained.

This RFP is open to all technologies, including supply side and non-supply side resources. Proposed projects must be in service beginning in 2025 through June 2027. APS is seeking approximately 1,000 to 1,500 megawatts (MW) of resources, including up to 600 to 800 MW of renewable resources, which will meaningfully increase the amount of clean energy on the APS electric system.

Closer to a Carbon-Free Future:

The new resources that will come from the 2022 RFP will add to the more than one GW of clean energy secured through an All Source RFP and separate Battery Energy Storage RFP issued in 2020. What does one GW mean for customers? APS estimates that approximately 150,000 homes in its service territory can be powered by this energy. According to the Department of Energy, one GW is also the equivalent power of more than three million solar panels, 110 million LED light bulbs and more than 9,000 electric cars.

APS’s portfolio of new resources will be in service for customers no later than 2024 and will include:

• 425 MW of solar power nameplate capacity
• 238 MW of wind power nameplate capacity
• 635 MW of battery storage nameplate capacity   

The entire RFP process is monitored and reviewed by an independent third-party. Information about the 2022 All Source RFP can be found at aps.com/rfp. To learn about the APS RPAC, visit aps.com/resources.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current expectations. These forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as "estimate," "predict," "may," "believe," "plan," "expect," "require," "intend," "assume," "project," "anticipate," "goal," "seek," "strategy," "likely," "should," "will," "could," and similar words. Because actual results may differ materially from expectations, we caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements. Several factors could cause future results to differ materially from historical results, or from outcomes currently expected or sought by Pinnacle West or APS. These factors include, but are not limited to:

• the potential effects of the continued COVID-19 pandemic, including, but not limited to, demand for energy, economic growth, our employees and contractors, vaccine mandates, supply chain, expenses, inflation, capital markets, capital projects, operations and maintenance activities, uncollectable accounts, liquidity, cash flows or other unpredictable events;
• our ability to manage capital expenditures and operations and maintenance costs while maintaining reliability and customer service levels; and
• general economic conditions, including inflation rates, monetary fluctuations, and supply chain constraints.

This day also honors the life and work of Henry Miller, the first International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) president.

Throughout the country, more than 75,000 lineworkers serve around the clock and in all weather conditions to maintain and enhance the energy grid that powers our homes, schools, hospitals and other critical infrastructure. Lineworkers and craft personnel are the face of utility companies and often are among the first responders in the wake of storms, wildfires and other disasters, working in dangerous situations to restore power and keep the lights on.

In Arizona, APS lineworkers maintain approximately 33,000 miles of distribution lines and nearly 6,000 miles of transmission lines that power communities spanning from the Grand Canyon to Yuma and Douglas. Their dedication and hard work ensure that our nearly 1.3 million APS customers have clean, reliable and affordable energy every day.

Join APS, IBEW, Edison Electric Institute (EEI), the Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA), and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) on July 10 and show your appreciation for lineworkers and fieldworkers everywhere by using #ThankALineworker to post on your favorite social media platform.

PHOENIX – With more energy-saving technology available than ever before, Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) is poised to add new smart customer products to its already comprehensive customer energy efficiency and demand-side management program portfolio. APS’s newly issued Distributed Demand-side Resources (DDSR) Request for Proposals (RFP) is seeking aggregated clean energy resources that will create more residential and business customer opportunities to manage energy costs, incentivize energy use when solar resources are abundant, conserve energy when demand is high and maintain grid reliability.
 

APS is seeking proposals for products that aggregate distributed technologies to provide systemwide capacity resources from 5-40 megawatts and locational resources of 1-5 megawatts. This RFP is open to all eligible distributed demand-side technologies, including both dispatchable and non-dispatchable resources, which can include products such as energy storage, smart thermostats, managed electric vehicle charging stations and connected water heater and pool pump controls. Proposed projects must begin service no earlier than June 1, 2022, and no later than June 1, 2024. APS will allow projects to be phased in during that period as long as they achieve full capacity by the latter date.

This RFP was developed with input from stakeholders to support the future development of a DDSR Aggregation Tariff, which was proposed in a recent Arizona Corporation Commission decision. The RFP will help APS gain market information on DDSR technologies and the value streams they can bring to customers and the grid, including reliability, cost savings, locational value and grid support.

APS has already successfully integrated new and emerging energy efficiency and demand-side management products into its wide-ranging portfolio of customer technology programs to provide dependable methods of load reduction. Among these customer resources is APS Cool Rewards, a nationally recognized voluntary energy conservation program that provides residential customers a way to manage energy use on hot summer days. APS Cool Rewards, now with more than 44,000 enrolled thermostats, and APS Marketplace, a one-stop online shop for competitively priced smart home products, are part of the utility’s signature programs recognized with the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for delivering innovation in technology, customer service and energy efficiency.

The entire RFP process is monitored and reviewed by a third-party independent monitor. Important information regarding respondent registration and proposal requirements for the RFP can be found at aps.com/rfp.

Arizona Public Service (APS), which serves one of the fastest growing service territories in the country, will soon serve customers with more solar power after expanding an existing all-source request for proposals (RFP). This addendum expands the project scope of an RFP issued in December 2020 that was broadly designed to serve APS’s growing customer base with clean, reliable and affordable energy. The addendum offers an additional opportunity to develop a solar generating resource on APS-owned land and helps advance the company’s clean energy commitment to achieve a carbon-free power mix by 2050.

APS will procure approximately 600-800 megawatts (MW) of renewable resources and about 400-600 MW of capacity resources through the original all-source RFP. These resources are expected to be in service in 2023 and 2024. The addendum seeks an additional 100- to 150-MW photovoltaic solar resource to be owned by APS and in service by early 2023. Proposals submitted in response to the all-source RFP and those submitted in response to the addendum will be managed and evaluated on separate tracks, within the time frames established in each of the solicitations.

The entire RFP process, applicable to both the original RFP and the addendum, is monitored and reviewed by a third-party independent monitor. APS is no longer accepting proposals for the original RFP. Important information regarding respondent registration and proposal requirements for the addendum can be found at www.aps.com/rfp.
 

PHOENIX – This Earth Day, Arizona Public Service Co. (APS) customers can reduce their carbon footprint and manage their energy usage by switching to a smart energy thermostat. Back by popular demand, APS is once again offering residential customers a free ENERGY STAR®-certified Google Nest Thermostat valued at $129. Customers will pay only shipping costs and tax.

Residential customers can take advantage of this limited-time offer until May 14 by enrolling in APS Cool Rewards, a program that lowers their energy use by adjusting their thermostats a few degrees on hot summer days. Customers participating in the program have the flexibility to control their thermostat devices and can opt out of the program at any time.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently recognized APS with the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award for excellence in customer energy efficiency programs. These programs help customers use less energy and shift their energy use to times of day when more clean power is available – actions that can benefit their wallet and the environment.

APS customers who order a Google Nest Thermostat can benefit from several green-energy features:
Control from Anywhere:

• The Nest Thermostat is easy to control and program with the Google Home App. Customers can receive notifications from their thermostat right to their mobile device.
• Quick Scheduling: Customers can set a custom temperature at different times and on different days. The Nest Thermostat also suggests pre-set temperatures to balance comfort and energy savings. Users can simply adjust settings with the Google Home app.
• Energy Savings: The Nest Thermostat proactively suggests small tweaks to a user’s schedule to optimize savings, which can be accepted using the Google Home app. For example, it might suggest a small change to a user’s sleep temperature to help aid sleep while saving more on energy.

APS Cool Rewards, now with more than 36,000 thermostats enrolled, and APS Marketplace were among the programs recognized for innovation and customer service by the EPA. APS Marketplace is a one-stop online shop for smart energy products at competitive prices. APS customers can order their free Google Nest Thermostat by visiting the APS Marketplace at myaps.store/tstats.

Arizona Public Service (APS), an owner and operator of the Four Corners Power Plant, today announced plans of an agreement among plant owners Navajo Transitional Energy Company (NTEC), Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM), Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) to move toward operating the plant seasonally beginning fall 2023, subject to necessary approvals.

The agreement comes as PNM announced plans to transfer its share of ownership to NTEC in 2024. The transfer of ownership in combination with seasonal operations will bring substantial environmental benefits and ensure continued service reliability for customers, especially during Arizona’s notoriously hot summer months, as APS transitions to its planned exit from coal by 2031.

Compared to current conditions, the shift to seasonal operations will reduce annual carbon emissions by an estimated 20-25%, furthering APS’s commitment to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050 and the individual sustainability goals of the plant’s other owners. The Four Corners Power Plant has already cut annual nitrogen oxide emissions by 88% since the installation of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) equipment on Unit 4 and Unit 5 in 2018.

“Four Corners has provided reliable and affordable electricity for almost 60 years, fostering economic growth and prosperity in cities and towns throughout the region,” said Jacob Tetlow, Sr. Vice President of Operations at APS. “With seasonal operations, the plant will continue to be a critical source of reliable electricity when our customers need it most and enable a responsible transition to a cleaner energy future.”

In alignment with APS’s Coal Communities Transition, a $144 million proposal focused on supporting coal communities including the Navajo Nation, the plan toward seasonal operations at Four Corners Power Plant takes into consideration reliability, customer affordability and support for the Navajo Nation.

By moving to seasonal operations, Four Corners will become a more flexible resource that supports increasing amounts of clean energy, helping to compensate for the intermittent output of renewable resources. This change also helps ensure reliability of a critical energy source while reducing operations and maintenance costs.

Under seasonal operation, one of the plant’s two remaining units will operate only throughout the summer season of June through October when customers’ energy needs are the highest across the region. By contrast, the plant’s other unit will continue generating power year-round, subject to market conditions and planned maintenance outages.

The transition to seasonal operations will not require layoffs or furloughs of APS employees.

Arizona Public Service Company (APS) is taking more steps to deliver on its commitment to serve one of the fastest-growing service territories in the country with 100% clean energy by 2050. APS issued two requests for proposals (RFP) — one to acquire both renewable energy and additional peaking capacity resources, and the other to install more battery energy storage at two existing APS solar plants. APS also recently executed an agreement with Invenergy to add battery energy storage to six APS solar plants located in Maricopa County and Yuma County.

The plans to pair storage with solar through this new RFP and the work with Invenergy were part of a suite of clean energy projects that APS announced last year. The addition of this technology will extend the benefits of “solar after sunset,” when customers’ summer energy needs remain at peak levels. These ambitious storage plans were followed by a clean energy commitment made earlier this year that set APS on a path to achieve a carbon-free power mix by 2050.

“We have made steady progress since setting our clean energy goal in January,” said Brad Albert, APS Vice President of Resource Management. “Moving ahead with our energy storage plans, our recent purchase of more clean wind generation, and our expanded voluntary energy conservation program all support meeting the needs of our growing customer base with reliable, affordable and increasingly cleaner resources.”

All Source RFP:
APS requests renewable energy resources of approximately 300-400 megawatts (MW) per year which will increase the amount of clean energy on the APS system. The RFP also is designed to address peak capacity needs of about 200-300 MW per year to maintain reliable electric service for customers during times of highest energy usage. Procuring more renewable energy supports an interim target within APS’s clean energy commitment: to have 45% of its generation portfolio in renewables by 2030. This RFP is open to all technologies, including supply side and non-supply side resources. Proposed projects must have in-service dates in either 2023 or 2024.

Battery Energy Storage RFP:
APS requests a combined total of 60 MW of battery storage additions to two of its existing AZ Sun Project solar facilities: the Red Rock and Chino Valley plants located in Pinal County and Yavapai County, respectively. Proposed projects must begin delivery no later than June 1, 2023.

The RFP process will be monitored and reviewed by a third-party independent monitor. The All Source RFP, Battery Energy Storage RFP and important information about proposal requirements and respondent registration are available at aps.com/rfp.

Added Battery Capacity to AZ Sun Sites:
Battery energy storage systems will be developed and installed by Invenergy at six of APS’s existing large-scale solar power plants and will begin operation in early 2022. Since announcing these plans last year, APS has now executed the agreement after working with Invenergy to incorporate enhanced safety standards in battery energy storage.