PHOENIX -- Vicki G. Sandler has been named President of APS Energy Services following approval from the Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE:PNW) Board of Directors on Wednesday. APS Energy Services is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pinnacle West.

Sandler, 43, had served as Vice President and Managing Director of APS Energy Services (APSES) since its inception at the beginning of 1999. In that capacity, she was largely responsible for implementing the start-up of APSES, a competitive retail sales company that provides energy, metering, billing and Internet-based energy information and management services to markets and customers in the Western United States.

According to Bill Post, Pinnacle West Chief Executive Officer, Sandler’s promotion reflects Pinnacle West’s continuing strategy to target selected customers and customer groups that can be served profitably with electric energy and demand-management technologies.

“Vicki has been instrumental in the formation of APS Energy Services and has been vital in the company becoming a pioneer in the unregulated energy market by tailoring services to customers’ individual demands and energy-use patterns,” Post said. “Her experience in marketing and in the utility industry will continue to position APS Energy Services as a leading energy services provider in the western United States.”

Prior to the formation of APS Energy Services, Sandler served in a variety of positions with Arizona Public Service (APS), the regulated electric utility of Pinnacle West. Sandler began as a Senior Analyst, Federal Policy & Rates for APS in 1982, then served in such positions as Direct Access Manager, Senior Attorney and Director of Energy Marketing. Sandler graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Economics (Phi Beta Kappa) in 1977 from the University of Arizona, and in 1980 she received a Juris Doctor from the Arizona State University College of Law.

“Our goal is to continue to be a company of ‘firsts,’” Sandler said. “We were the first to serve competitive customers in California, where we’ve signed up customers such as Albertson’s, La Quinta Inns, Texas Instruments and Earthgrains. In Arizona, with competition in effect less than a year, we were the first company to serve customers in the electric service areas opened to competition. In addition, APS Energy Services is providing commodity and energy efficiency to customers such as Northern Arizona University and other public institutions. We also are developing several innovative district-cooling projects throughout the metropolitan Phoenix area.

“We have maintained our flexibility in this evolving market by quickly profiting where we can, then exiting the market if it does not provide continued opportunities,” she added. “We will use the knowledge and experience we have gained to effectively reshape the competitive market so all customers - large and small - can benefit from competitive energy services in the future.”

Pinnacle West is a Phoenix-based company with consolidated assets of approximately $7 billion. Through its subsidiaries, the Company generates, sells and delivers electricity and sells energy-related products and services to retail and wholesale customers in the western United States. The Company also develops residential, commercial and industrial real estate projects through SunCor Development Company, and has venture capital and other investments through El Dorado Investment Company.

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This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, which include, but are not limited to, the ongoing restructuring of the electric industry; the outcome of the regulatory proceedings relating to the restructuring; regional economic and market conditions, which could affect customer growth and the cost of power supplies; the cost of debt and equity capital; weather variations affecting customer usage; and the strength of the real estate market. These factors and the other matters discussed above may cause future results to differ materially from historical results, or from results or outcomes currently expected or sought by the Company.