RFP is seeking to equip existing solar plants with batteries to bring
cleaner energy to customers
PHOENIX –Arizona Public Service (APS) will issue an RFP tomorrow, June 29,
to equip existing APS solar plants with battery storage. This RFP is an
important part of APS’s plan to add up to 500 megawatts (MW) of energy
storage to its system over the next 15 years. These batteries will bring
more clean energy to APS customers when they need it most, by storing an
abundance of mid-day solar and re-distributing it at peak times of customer
usage later in the day.
Since 2011, customers have been benefitting from the clean energy produced
by multiple grid-scale solar plants that APS operates as part of its
AZ Sun
program. The plants are located on sites across the state, including Gila
Bend, Buckeye, Chino Valley, Hyder Valley, Yuma and Glendale. This RFP will
allow APS to take these solar facilities to the next level by helping
provide clean energy to customers at peak energy use times.
In this RFP solicitation, APS is seeking to equip these plants with a total
of up to approximately 106 MW of battery storage. The requested capacity
represents one of the largest battery storage projects in the country and
enables APS’s existing solar resources to help meet peak needs reliably
with clean power, even when the sun is not shining.
For Arizona to continue to be a leader in solar, it is imperative to find
innovative ways to best use the solar already on the grid; some call this
“Solar 2.0.” It means using the latest technology, such as batteries, to
harness the sun to deliver clean energy to customers after it gets dark.
APS’s system already includes more than one million installed solar panels,
which collectively generate more than one gigawatt of clean energy. With
three grid-scale batteries currently in operation, a
partnership with First Solar
for a 50-MW battery slated to come online in 2021, and the latest RFP being
issued tomorrow, APS is finding new ways to integrate battery storage to
get even more use out of its solar.
APS wants energy storage projects that can be in operation by June 2020.
Information about proposal requirements and bidder registration will be
available online Friday, June 29, at aps.com/rfp.
APS
serves about 2.7 million people in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is the
Southwest’s foremost producer of clean, safe and reliable electricity.
Using a balanced energy mix that is 50 percent carbon-free, APS has one of
the country’s most substantial renewable energy portfolios, and owns and
operates the Palo Verde Generating Station, the country’s top power
producer and largest producer of carbon-free energy. The company is also a
proven leader in introducing technology and services that offer customers
choice and control over their energy consumption. With headquarters in
Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of
Pinnacle West Capital Corp
. (NYSE: PNW).
Media Contact:
Annie DeGraw (602) 250-4371
Analyst Contact:
Stefanie Layton (602) 250-4541