PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arizona Public Service ranks fourth among American electric utilities for the most solar megawatts added to its system in 2012. This annual ranking is part of the Solar Electric Power Association’s (SEPA) Utility Solar Rankings report, which identifies national leaders in solar energy development.
Last year, APS added 148 megawatts of solar to its generation portfolio. Some of that power came from new large-scale plants built by companies like SunEdison and owned by APS. Some of it came from new contracts to purchase solar energy from independent power producers. The largest share of it came from the many APS customers who chose in 2012 to install rooftop solar panels on their homes and businesses. All are important resources to take advantage of Arizona’s most abundant resource, the sun.
Tucson Electric Power also made the SEPA list of solar leaders for 2012.
“With two utilities in the national top ten, Arizona is a clear leader in the development of solar power,” said Don Brandt, APS Chairman and CEO. “This accomplishment would not be possible without strong leadership from Governor Jan Brewer, the members of the Arizona Corporation Commission, and the many local leaders throughout our state who are encouraging new solar projects in their communities.”
Brandt also credited companies like AMEC and First Solar for their innovative approach to solar. “These projects don’t build themselves,” said Brandt. “On every project, we are partnering with experienced designers and contractors who are getting these new solar plants built on time and on budget. In the process, they are hiring hundreds of Arizona workers and equipping them with valuable new skills.”
Finally, Brandt credited the many APS customers who are choosing rooftop solar. “More than half of the solar power growth in APS service territory last year came from individual customers who made the choice to install solar panels on their homes and businesses. Arizona’s progress in renewable energy is truly a shared accomplishment.”
By the end of 2013, APS will have nearly 700 MW of solar on its system, enough to power the homes of 175,000 APS customers. This will put the company well ahead of schedule to meet the state’s renewable energy targets of 15 percent of energy generated coming from renewable resources by 2025.
The Top 10 solar utilities in the category of Annual Megawatts are:
| 1. Pacific Gas and Electric (CA) | 6. Jersey Central Power & Light (NJ) | |||||||
| 2. Southern California Edison (CA) | 7. Tucson Electric Power (AZ) | |||||||
| 3. Public Service Electric & Gas Co. (NJ) | 8. Progress Carolinas (NC, SC) | |||||||
| 4. Arizona Public Service (AZ) | 9. Sacramento Municipal Utility District (CA) | |||||||
| 5. NV Energy (NV) | 10. Hawaiian Electric Company (HI) |
These Top 10 utilities accounted for 73 percent of all capacity integrated in 2012, a slight increase from 2011.
“We are pleased to welcome APS to our Top 10 list, which identifies the leaders from our upcoming sixth annual Utility Solar Rankings Report,” remarked Julia Hamm, president and CEO of SEPA. “In 2012 new installations resulted in almost 1,500 megawatts of additional new solar connected to the grid, a doubling in new solar capacity from two years ago. Both the number of systems and the amount of new capacity make solar electricity the fastest growing electric source in the U.S. in 2012. SEPA will continue to promote our utility leaders and encourage widespread solar adoption to ensure a clean, diverse energy mix for the future.”
SEPA’s full report will be released in May 2013. Complete rankings can be found at sepatop10.org.
Note: Additional capacity not captured in the SEPA survey was included in APS’s total installed solar in 2012. This additional capacity would have no impact on the ranking.
About SEPA
SEPA is an educational non-profit organization based in Washington dedicated to helping utilities integrate solar power into their energy portfolios. The SEPA Top 10 Utility Solar Rankings report is one of many market intelligence, utility interaction and educational services SEPA provides to its utility and solar industry members. For more information about SEPA, visit our website at www.solarelectricpower.org.
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. (NYSE: PNW).
