Arizona utility Salt River Project is planning to add 1GW of new utility-scale solar energy in the US state by the end of the fiscal year 2025.
The plan will accelerate both the pace and total capacity of SRP’s current solar energy resource plans by 700MW compared with previous plans.
SRP will add approximately 200MW of new solar each year until 2025, which will allow for analysis of the impact on grid reliability and provide an improved operational experience.
The company will examine programs to allocate the new solar capacity to various customer groups, including community solar for residential clients.
The addition of 1GW of solar energy is also expected to reduce SRP’s carbon dioxide emissions by about 5.2 million tons.
SRP chief executive and general manager Mike Hummel said: “This proposal represents a growing commitment to sustainability that is both reliable and affordable.
“It focuses on investments in utility-scale solar projects that have higher solar capture efficiencies and therefore provide optimal value for our customers.”
With the cost of solar energy continuing to decrease, the time is now right to continue to increase investments, Hummel added.
SRP is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest provider of electricity in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving more than 1 million customers.