Pinnacle West has an unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship.

Our primary environmental challenges arise from the need to generate and deliver electricity to a rapidly growing customer base. As noted in our Key Issues section, the APS service territory is one of the fastest-growing in the nation.  In addition to the increase in actual numbers of customers, there has been a significant increase in the consumption of electricity by customers 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. That is space that needs to be heated in the winter and cooled in the summer, and that space also houses a lot more electricity-consuming appliances and devices than in years past, resulting in each customer using more electricity, despite gains in energy efficiency and energy conservation.

APS customers are using more electricity each year

All of that increased energy use requires increased electricity generation and increased transmission and distribution infrastructure, which increases our environmental impact. However, with growth and its inherent challenges, come opportunities for innovation and leadership.

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. Throughout this report we highlight various programs we have implemented and are researching in order to meet this demand — in a sustainable manner that best protects and enhances our environment. 

These efforts include maintaining fuel-mix diversification, including a significantly expanded role for renewables to help meet increased generation needs, demand-side management programs to help reduce energy growth and a robust technology innovation effort to identify, research and implement new technologies that contribute to a sustainable energy future. We must also employ more "typical" environmental efforts such as reuse of materials such as coal ash and other materials, waste minimization, air emissions controls and wildlife and forest protection.

This section of our Corporate Responsibility Report details our company’s environmental philosophies and performance for 2006. We believe it demonstrates our dedication to  performing at a high level while maintaining our long-term commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.