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With summer heat, APS virtual power plant boosts reliability, saves money
APS is prepared to meet the energy needs of its approximately 1.4 million customers during Arizona’s long, hot summers and all year long. Providing reliable power that’s also affordable is possible due to long-term planning, innovation and maintaining a diverse mix energy resources.
APS’s mix includes renewables like solar, wind and energy storage and clean, nuclear energy, along with traditional resources that can ramp up quickly when temperatures rise and air conditioners run. There’s also a special virtual power plant which APS operates in partnership with customers. This is a network of smart home devices, like thermostats and batteries, designed to help save energy. The amount of energy customers conserve through APS’s various virtual power plant programs is equivalent to what a small, physical power plant can produce. That energy avoidance saves customers’ money, protects the environment and increases grid reliability.
Kerri Carnes, who leads customer technology efforts at APS, recently discussed the creation and importance of the virtual power plant with Power Magazine:
“It was important for us to make sure that customers understand that we view this as an incredibly important part of maintaining reliability and affordability for our customers every summer. But at the end of the day, they retain control.”
You can read the full article here.
APS Cool Rewards helps fuel the virtual power plant and APS pays them to participate by using less energy with small, temporary adjustments to their smart thermostat during the hottest days of the year. Customers who enroll in the program can earn up to $85 in bill credits the first year. They can opt out by adjusting their thermostat at any time with their mobile device, web browser or thermostat.
APS serves approximately 1.4 million homes and businesses in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is a leader in delivering affordable, clean and reliable energy in the Southwest. The company is committed to serving customers with 100% clean power by 2050. As owner and operator of Palo Verde Generating Station, the nation’s largest producer of carbon-free electricity, and with one of the country’s most substantial renewable energy portfolios, APS’s current energy mix is 51% clean. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).
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