APS Adds to Solar Leadership in Arizona
APS Adds to Solar Leadership in Arizona
Expects 2013 to Eclipse a Record-Breaking 2012
PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- An APS filing at the Arizona Corporation Commission underscores the company's essential role in making Arizona one of the top solar energy markets in the nation.
Governor Jan Brewer announced last month that according to the 2012 U.S. Solar Market Insight Report from the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), Arizona now ranks second nationally for solar installations, and the state topped the list with the most utility-scale solar technology installed.
APS, in 2012, added 148 megawatts (MW), a single-year record for the company and enough electricity to serve more than 35,000 customers. In 2013, APS expects to more than double this number.
Last year's projects came from a variety of sources, including:
AZ Sun (24 MW) - SunEdison completed construction on the 19-MW Chino Valley Solar Plant and the final 5 MW of the Hyder I Solar Plant- which are owned and operated by APS as part of the AZ Sun program.
Power purchase agreements (15 MW)- APS signed a long-term agreement to purchase 15 MW from another SunEdison facility, the Saddle Mountain Solar Power Plant.
Customer-owned solar (83 MW)- Most of the solar added in 2012 came from customers installing systems on their homes and businesses. More than 7,500 did so last year, compared with fewer than 6,000 total installations in 2011.
"APS will have more than 600 MW of solar on the system by the end of 2013, generating enough electricity to serve 150,000 customers," said Don Brandt, APS Chairman and CEO. "This puts us well on pace to meet the Arizona Renewable Energy Standard, which calls for APS to get 15 percent of our power from renewable sources by 2025."
Brandt noted that the company's investment in solar is helping to stimulate the competitive solar industry in Arizona. "By 2015, 83 percent of the company's renewable energy portfolio will be third-party owned. But more importantly, 100 percent of APS solar facilities are built by competitive solar developers, with more to come."
"SunEdison welcomes the opportunity to work with a forward-thinking utility like APS," said Tim Derrick, President and General Manager of SunEdison North America. "Providing renewable energy using Arizona's most abundant resource - the sun - makes economic sense, and we share in APS's commitment to keep Arizona as one of the top solar energy markets in the United States."
Later this year, the 250-MW Solana Generating Station will come online. Solana is owned and operated by Abengoa Solar. APS will purchase 100 percent of the power from Solana for the next 30 years. In addition, in 2013 APS will see more distributed energy and bring two additional AZ Sun Projects online (the 35-MW Foothills Solar Power Plant built by AMEC and the 14-MW Hyder II Solar Power Plant built by McCarthy Building Companies).
"As the recent solar rankings indicate, Arizona is one of the top solar markets in the United States," said Brandt. "Our solar portfolio is growing and makes Arizona a national leader in both solar innovation and the sheer amount of solar generation serving customers."
APS, Arizona's largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves more than 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state's 15 counties. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYS: PNW) .
APS
Media Contact:
Jenna Shaver, 602-250-4403
Analyst Contact:
Rebecca Hickman, 602-250-5668
Website: aps.com/newsroom
KEYWORDS: United States North America Arizona
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