SAHUARITA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Peak electricity usage in Southern Arizona has surged over five percent since 2019, according to Tucson Electric Power (TEP).
In response to the growing demand, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) awarded a coalition of electricity cooperatives a $55 million grant to support the development of battery storage systems in rural areas of Southern Arizona.
On July 2, the USDA held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the grant, which comes from the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program. The program was created after the passing of the Inflation Reduction Act, a 2022 law aimed at financing clean energy projects.
Under PACE, the Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) forgives up to 60% of loans for renewable energy projects, including energy storage.
The grant will specifically support three battery storage facilities across Arizona, including one at TRICO's Sahuarita substation, which was built last year.
TRICO and its members are one of the electricity cooperatives standing to benefit from the grant. The organization is included in the Arizona G&T Cooperatives, which received the USDA grant under its sister organization, Sierra Southwest Cooperative Services.
The group works with Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO) and its distribution cooperatives, such as TRICO.
The two other storage facilities included in the grant are located in Cochise and Fort Mohave, also in rural areas of Arizona.
Altogether, the battery storage facilities total 35 megawatts and can provide four hours of power.
The Sahuarita facility, now operational, can power approximately 3,000 households.
Brian Heithoff, CEO of TRICO Electric Cooperative, emphasized the importance of expanding infrastructure to keep up with increasing energy demands.
"The power usage in America, and especially here in Arizona, is growing," Heithoff said. "We need to build more assets, more infrastructure in order to service our members."
These battery storage systems are designed to harness solar power, storing energy during the day and releasing it at night. This process not only improves reliability and resilience but also offers cost savings for cooperative members.
"It will allow us to provide more reliable power,” Heithoff said. “It will allow us to be more resilient and it will also save our members money.”
Heithoff says that 12% of TRICO’s members have solar and storage capacity, making it one of the top five electric cooperatives in the country in regards to renewable energy.
The impact of these projects extends beyond energy sustainability.
AEPCO partnered with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IEBW) on their New Era program. This provides an apprenticeship program to train workers for the growing clean energy sector.
Joshua Despain, Business Manager of IEBW Local Union 570, highlighted the program's benefits. “We’re pulling apprentices into our program, and when they leave our program they’re a journeyman, wireman,” he said. “We qualify them after our four-year program and they become part of the community at that point and boost the economy.”
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
