So far this year, Tucson Electric Power’s renewable resources have produced more than 505,000 megawatt hours of energy. That’s equivalent to approximately 5.5 percent of TEP’s total 2015 projected retail sales and on target to surpass Arizona’s Renewable Energy Standard requirement of 5 percent for the year. TEP has a total of 441 megawatts of renewable energy resources, which is enough to power approximately 77,000 homes for a year.
“TEP has demonstrated a strong, consistent commitment to the development of solar energy in Southern Arizona,” said Dave Hutchens, President and CEO of TEP. “We’re continuing our solar energy expansion this year with innovative new programs and projects that will provide clean, reliable energy and other benefits to our customers.”
TEP’s newest renewable resource, the Red Horse Wind 2 facility near Willcox, Arizona, was completed in August. The joint wind and solar project can generate up to 71 megawatts, making it TEP’s largest renewable energy resource.
“Wind and solar are both intermittent sources of power generation. Having wind and solar together provides a more consistent output of energy,” said Jeff Krauss, who manages TEP’s community-scale renewable resources. “It works out well because wind tends to pick up in the early morning and at night, while solar produces during the day.”
With Red Horse, TEP has another cost-effective community-scale system that provides customers more renewable energy for less money. The system also further diversifies TEP’s power generation portfolio, increasing service reliability.
Additionally, TEP now offers homeowners an opportunity to go solar with no installation or maintenance costs. Through the Residential Solar Program, TEP installs rooftop solar panels at participants’ homes and provides their electric service for a set monthly fee that will remain fixed for up to 25 years.
This new program, approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission last year, already has a waiting list. With its popularity, TEP is seeking to expand participation in this program next year.
These are just a few examples of how TEP is committed to building a renewable future. For more information about TEP’s renewable programs, visit tep.com/renewable
