APS has an unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship.

This is a significant challenge for an electric utility, based on the way energy is generated and distributed, especially in a rapidly growing service territory such as the one served by APS.  

With Arizona's population boom of the last decade, APS has been adding customers at three times the national average, with no signs of slowing. Each year, APS installs 40,000 new electric meters and serves an additional 100,000 customers — the equivalent of a medium-sized city.

Coupled with an increase in household electricity usage, the need for generation continues to increase as well. For example, In the 1960s, the average Arizona home was about 1,500 square feet and had an eight-foot ceiling, resulting in an average home volume of 12,000 cubic feet. Today, the average Arizona home has grown to about 2,000 square feet, and ceiling heights have increased to make the average home volume go up to about 20,000 cubic feet - more than a 66 percent increase.  

In addition, only 22 percent of the houses in the 1960s had air conditioning, the largest use of electricity in an Arizona home. Today, more than 90 percent of homes are equipped with air conditioning. This all requires significant increases in the amount of electricity that APS must generate or purchase to supply to its customer service territory each year.

However, with growth and its inherent challenges, come opportunities for innovation and leadership.

Our environmental commitment is one of our written corporate core values. This is a tremendous responsibility, and one we take seriously. We will continue to embrace a leadership role in nurturing Arizona's growth — socially, economically and environmentally.

We will meet ever growing environmental responsibilities by continuing to enhance our leadership role in this vital area. We will continue to operate our facilities in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, and implement the best management practices to ensure we facilitate an energy future that is economical, reliable and increasingly renewable.

This section of our Corporate Responsibility Report details our company’s environmental philosophies and performance for 2005. We believe it demonstrates our dedication to  performing at a high level while maintaining our long-term commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.