Arizona Public Service uses National Solar Appreciation Day to tout carbon-free gains in 2021
In recognition of National Solar Appreciation Day on March 11, Arizona Public Service C. (APS) pointed to its efforts over the past year to integrate solar energy more deeply into its service territory and gains made in its path to carbon-free electricity by 2050.
Such gains included a record amount of residential solar installations over the last year, representing a 20 percent gain in capacity over 2020 levels. In fact, as a result, the company touted that only Hawaii and California host more solar capacity per capita at this point.
“Every day, we’re working toward a more sustainable tomorrow for Arizona as part of our commitment to serve customers with 100% clean and carbon-free energy by 2050,” Jacob Tetlow, APS executive vice president of Operations, said. “Without compromising the strong reliability our customers enjoy, we’re continuously connecting more solar energy to our smart grid. Solar generation sites, battery storage, and customer rooftop solar systems are important resources to help make the most out of our state’s sunshine.”
As of now, nearly 141,000 solar systems have been deployed to APS customers’ rooftops or parking structures in its service area, amounting to almost 1,300 MW of solar capacity. Additionally, 15 percent of all single-family homes in the company’s territory now utilize solar systems. APS itself has constructed 10 solar plants for its fleet.
The company has acquired nearly 1,400 MW of clean energy and renewables for deployment by the end of 2024. In the future, APS intends to deploy additional battery storage resources to complement its solar offerings and provide greater reliability at night.
