Arizona’s Salt River Project to add 1,000 MW of solar energy by 2025

The Salt River Project (SRP) near Phoenix, Arizona announced plans this week to add 1,000 megawatts (MW) of solar energy to their system by the end of 2025.

While the SRP has been building its capacity steadily, the announcement accelerates their long-term plans, adding 700 MW onto existing resource plans. The change was fueled by several factors: a recent study showing their grid could handle the extra load, as well as continued declines in solar energy cost.

“This proposal represents a growing commitment to sustainability that is both reliable and affordable,” Mike Hummel, SRP’s CEO and general manager, said. “It focuses on investments in utility-scale solar projects that have higher solar capture efficiencies and therefore provide optimal value for our customers.”

To reach the new figure, SRP intends to add around 200 MW of solar each year. SRP also intends to analyze programs for allocation of that energy to a variety of customer groups. The additional solar energy could reduce SRP’s CO2 emissions by as much as 5.2 million tons.