Tucson Electric Power (TEP) generated more clean energy than ever last week during a brief period when more than 95 percent of its power was coming from renewable resources.

The new clean energy peak occurred Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 2:18 p.m., when TEP’s wind and solar resources produced about 634 megawatts (MW). That was enough to satisfy more than 95 percent of TEP customers’ energy needs at that time, which totaled about 662 MW. The previous clean energy peak was set on Feb. 15, with 620 MW.

On an annual basis, TEP can produce approximately 30 percent of its power from renewable resources. Customers can see how much energy TEP’s renewable resources are producing in real-time by visiting TEP’s Clean Energy Tracker.

The new record reflects TEP’s significant expansion of wind and solar resources last year. TEP more than doubled its renewable energy portfolio with three new, large systems that include:

• The 250-MW Oso Grande Wind Project, located in southeastern New Mexico. Owned and operated by TEP, the 250 MW wind farm has the capacity to generate enough energy to serve the annual electric needs of about 100,000 homes.
• The Wilmot Energy Center, which includes a 100-MW solar array and a 30-MW battery energy storage system on 1,130 acres south of Tucson International Airport. The array generates enough power every year to serve more than 25,000 homes.
• The Borderlands Wind Project, located about 100 miles south of Gallup, includes 34 turbines that produce a combined 99 megawatts (MW). Over the course of a year, the wind farm generates enough power to serve the electric needs of more than 26,000 homes.

The new systems support TEP’s plan to provide more than 70 percent of its power from renewable resources and reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2035. These changes, outlined in TEP’s most recent Integrated Resource Plan, will avoid the production of more than 50 million tons of carbon dioxide over 15 years.

News Media Contact:
Joseph Barrios
520-884-3725
jbarrios@tep.com