General Update: July 23, 2003

We expect that with continued customer energy reduction and no other system problems, we will be able to meet the electric demand in the Phoenix Valley today. You are encouraged to resume your normal activities during the morning and evening hours when the load on the electric system is not at peak. However, we need you to continue to reduce your energy use, between the peak hours of 3-6 p.m.

We continue to make a special appeal to customers in the following areas to reduce use throughout the day to help manage localized areas at higher risk. There are several restoration efforts going on in these areas and we hope to return these areas to "normal" by early next week. These areas are:

• 7th Ave. to 67th Ave. from Olive to Dynamite
• 67th Ave. to 115th Ave. from Northern to Union Hills

Repairs have been made in the Paradise Valley area and residents between 44th Street and Scottsdale from Doubletree to McDonald may also return to their normal daily energy use. Of course, we ask for their cooperation to reduce usage between 3 and 6 p.m. 

Westwing Substation Update
They July 4 fire destroyed 5 of 13 transformers at the northwest Phoenix Valley Westwing substation. The transformers operate in banks of three -- one full bank and one unit of a second bank were destroyed, as was a spare unit.  We established a multi-phase plan to fully restore the substation.  The initial steps were focused on testing and re-engaging the remaining undamaged bank of transformers, which was completed on July 8. 

Simultaneously, we secured a replacement unit that will enable us to make the 2nd bank of transformers operational. The replacement transformer that we purchased from Bonneville Power Association is en route to Phoenix.  It was shipped on a barge from Tacoma, Washington to Southern California and is now being trucked to the Westwing substation.  It is so large that special hauling equipment was retrofitted to accomodate it. It is able to move at a top speed of less than 10 miles per hour. We expect it to arrive the week of July 26. 

We have prepared the site for the arrival of the equipment and will begin installing it immediately upon its arrival. even working around the clock, the installation process takes approximately 3 weeks.  We anticipate making the unit operational in mid-August.   Getting this transformer in operation will provide us with the capacity we forecast is needed to meet electric demand for the remainder of the peak summer months.

Over the next year, we will be ordering and installing new transformers to rebuild the Westwing substation.  It will be fully operational for the high summer demand of 2005.