APS hopes to retire its coal-fired generation plants by 2031. 
Explaining details of the project to the Chino Valley Town Council and several members of the public during an early evening town council meeting on April 26, APS Division Director for Northern Arizona Mackenzie Rodgers said when complete, BESS will capture solar energy during the day and store it for customer use after sunset. Construction should be finished by the end of April, she said, with BESS operating in May 2023. “Our pre-application process is complete and we are moving forward.”
“The capacity of the 19-megawatt battery system – about 100,000 battery cells – is large enough to power more than 10,000 homes for four hours,” Rodgers said. The batteries operate silently.
She introduced APS employee David Clark, who is an expert on battery use and installation.
In her presentation, Rodgers showed where the fenced 150-acre solar plant will be located. The land occupied by the battery system is half an acre. The 120 cubes holding the battery cells will be side by side. Each cube will contain 832 battery cells, totaling 99,840 battery cells. A cell is 3 inches by 7 inches by 8 inches.
The original solar farm is now 11 years old.
Rodgers said BESS is another step in the APS commitment to providing 100% carbon-free clean energy to customers by mid-century. “As of today, we are producing 50% clean energy and we want to reach 65% clean within the next eight years.”
APS hopes to retire its coal-fired generation plants by 2031. The utility company wants to increase battery storage and support the transition with abundant natural gas.
“Our project here in Chino Valley will let us deliver cleaner energy to customers at times of peak energy demands,” said Rodgers. “Our research has shown that energy demand is highest in the evening during mid-summer when air conditioner units are running and people are home cooking and watching television. As a result, customers will have access to solar energy even when the sun is down. Dinner time, primetime television viewing and nighttime lighting will be provided by a cleaner energy mix.”
In concluding comments, Rodgers said APS crews are clearing brush and trash around utility poles. “We want to be certain that in the event of a wildfire, none of our utility poles are jeopardized. We make that commitment to our customers, that our facilities and resources are going to be fire-safe. We have defensible space around all our facilities,” she said.
APS, founded in 1886, is Arizona’s largest and longest-serving public utility. The investor-owned public service company serves 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties. QCBN
By Ray Newton, QCBN
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