APS Green Energy Powers ASU Basketball Team
Renewable Energy will ‘Spark’ Thursday’s Game

March 2, 2010

TEMPE - APS hopes to provide an assist of sorts to the Arizona State University men's basketball team when it takes the floor against the University of Southern California this Thursday.

Wells Fargo Arena, home of the Sun Devils, will be powered by renewable energy from APS, the school's energy provider. The ASU Athletics Department purchased 2,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity, enough energy for the entire arena for duration of the game.

Throughout the night, video clips of Sun Devil mascot Sparky will appear on the scoreboard demonstrating green tips from APS. The Renewables, an APS inflatable team of clean energy super heroes - representing solar, wind, geothermal, hydro and bio-mass energy - also will be in attendance on the east side of the arena.

During the game, APS will give away compact fluorescent bulbs to one lucky section. For fans who are interested in learning more about green energy and energy efficiency, representatives from APS will be in attendance at an APS booth set up inside the arena.

"ASU takes pride in educating students on the importance of making a positive impact on the environment," said Stephen Ponder, ASU Senior Associate AD for Athletic Development. "This partnership with APS is a great way to influence and educate the large crowd of Sun Devil basketball fans."

ASU is a model of sustainability. The university focuses on continually improving its carbon footprint through research, academic programs and its day-to-day operations. The Sun Devil's Tempe campus recently underwent a two year energy conservation project which involved retrofitting lighting systems, upgrading HVAC systems, and installing a photovoltaic parking cover, to name a few. The savings in electricity consumption from the energy conservation project roughly equates to 53 million kWh per year with a 13 MW demand reduction.

APS, Arizona's largest and longest-serving electricity utility, serves about 1.1 million customers in 11 of the state's 15 counties. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW).

Jenna Henry
(602) 250-4403