Landmark Project
Barbara Lockwood is the Vice President of Regulation at Arizona Public Service. She manages federal and state regulatory activities for APS.
PUF's Pat McMurray: Arizona has more solar resources than most other states in the country. Now you have batteries to back that up. Can you tell me about the APS solar and storage project?
Barbara Lockwood: We are so excited about this new project, and it's been really something that has evolved over time in terms of what we need and what we're looking for. It's a 65-megawatt solar project paired with a 50-megawatt battery, that only delivers energy between 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. in the evening.
It's a great advancement with this combination of technology, and it's delivering power exactly when our customers need it. On top of that, we're partnering with another great Arizona company, First Solar, on this project.
PUF: On a scale of one to ten, how big is this project? Is it a landmark in the United States?
Barbara Lockwood: Absolutely. It is a landmark project across the board, and something that we really hope to replicate in the future. We hope to be an example for other utilities that are dealing with the same question of how we continue to have more renewable energy on the grid, but have it delivered when our customers need it most.