APS Community Power Project Approved
PHOENIX, Apr 05, 2010 -- BUSINESS WIRE
Arizona Public Service received approval Thursday from the Arizona
Corporation Commission for the Community Power Project in Flagstaff, a
pilot program that will bring solar panels to the rooftops of homes and
businesses.
APS will own, operate and receive energy from solar panels on customer
rooftops that are suitable for the project. The company will hire solar
contractors to install and maintain the systems in a limited area of
northeast Flagstaff. Customers will receive a long-term Community Power
Rate for the solar portion of their bill. This rate will remain fixed at
a guaranteed level -- approximately equivalent to what they pay today --
for 20 years. The company anticipates rollout of the program this
summer.
"Our customers want solar energy for their homes and businesses and the
Community Power Project is an important option," said APS President Don
Robinson. "With the Community Power Project we will also be among the
first utilities in the country to study different solar power scenarios
as they happen in real time and test different ways to manage these
challenges on the grid. What we learn could very well become a lynchpin
for making rooftop solar generation a widespread phenomenon in the
future."
The Community Power Project will enable APS to measure system impacts
and to better understand the total customer experience with technology.
Last fall, APS along with its four grant partners received notification
from the U.S. Department of Energy that it would receive a $3.3 million
federal grant to study the effects of high concentrations of solar
energy on the grid over a 45-month period. Finalization of the award is
expected this month. The Flagstaff program will serve as the host of the
study.
APS intends to generate 1.5 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the
Community Power Project in Flagstaff. Under the current plan, 200
qualified participants will be interconnected with the electrical grid
along a single electric distribution area, or "feeder," called Sandvig 4
in northeast Flagstaff. This area, which serves approximately 3,000
residential and business customers, is bounded by Wupatki Trail to the
north, Railhead Avenue to the south, Kochfield Road to the east and
Timberline Estates to the west.
Also as part of this project, APS plans to install a utility-scale solar
array and several small wind turbines in the test area. The company also
plans to work with local agencies to provide 50 solar water heaters in
the pilot area on homes of customers with limited incomes.
More information on the APS Community Power Project can be found at
www.aps.com/communitypower. Flagstaff residents in the pilot area can
also call (800) 659-8148 or (602) 216-0318 Monday through Friday between
7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Information on current ACC-approved APS renewable energy programs for
customers can be found at www.aps.com/greenchoice.
APS, Arizona's largest and longest-serving electric utility, serves more
than 1.1 million customers throughout the state. With headquarters in
Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp.
(NYSE: PNW).
SOURCE: Arizona Public Service
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