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Arizona Utilities Provide Coal Plant Communities with Grants to Support Economic Development, Planning Efforts
Three municipalities in Northern Arizona impacted by the transition away from coal-fired power plants will receive a total of $125,000 in economic development grants from the Utilities’ Grant Funding Program.
Jointly funded by Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP), the program provides funding for critical grant writing, matching funds and technical assistance to help governments and organizations develop new, sustainable economic strategies for residents and others in impacted communities. The following towns and cities were recently selected as grant recipients.
The town of Eagar received grants for two initiatives. The first $25,000 grant will support the town's ongoing grant writing efforts, which have resulted in six applications completed this year. The second $25,000 grant will support a collaboration with the U.S. Economic Development Administration to expand utilities and infrastructure at the industrial park located on the town's west side, an effort designed to enhance the park's attractiveness to potential tenants.
The city of Page also will receive dual grants. The first $25,000 will support the city's application for U.S. Economic Development Administration disaster relief grant funds for the town's Downtown Business Development Project. The second grant, also in the amount of $25,000, will help pay for more than a fifth of the cost to develop long-range transportation plan studies. This will facilitate the inclusion of projects in the Arizona Department of Transportation's state transportation plan for consideration of state and federal funding assistance.
The city of St. Johns will receive $25,000 to help cover the cost of hiring a consultant to develop a plan for roadway resurfacing, widening and realignment to improve traffic flow and safety. The plan can then be used to acquire additional funding for infrastructure improvements.
APS, SRP and TEP pledged a combined $1 million in awards available through the Utilities’ Grant Funding Program. Tribal, state, and local governments, public schools, economic development groups and nonprofit groups within 75 miles of a closing or closed coal plant are eligible to apply. More details about submission eligibility and requirements are available here.
The utilities have funded five rounds of grants since the program's inception in 2023. The sixth grant application cycle is now open. Applications are due by December 15, 2024. APS’ and TEP’s contributions to the Utilities’ Grant Funding Program are not recovered through customer rates.
About APS
APS serves approximately 1.4 million homes and businesses in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is a leader in delivering reliable, affordable, clean energy in the Southwest. The company is committed to serving customers with 100% clean power by 2050. As owner and operator of Palo Verde Generating Station, one of the nation’s largest producers of carbon-free electricity, and with one of the country’s most substantial renewable energy portfolios, APS’s current energy mix is 51% clean. With headquarters in Phoenix, APS is the principal subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW)
About SRP
SRP is a community-based, not-for-profit public power utility and the largest electricity provider in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, serving approximately 1.1 million customers. SRP provides water to about half of the Valley’s residents, delivering more than 244 billion gallons of water (750,000 acre-feet) each year, and manages a 13,000-square-mile watershed that includes an extensive system of reservoirs, wells, canals and irrigation laterals.
About TEP
TEP provides safe, reliable electric service to 450,000 customers in Southern Arizona. For more information, visit tep.com. TEP and its parent company, UNS Energy, are subsidiaries of Fortis Inc., a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry. For more information, visit fortisinc.com.
Contact:
APS
Ann Porter
ann.porter@aps.com
602-538-0588
SRP
Elaina Steingard
elaina.steingard@srpnet.com
602-619-7606
TEP
Joseph Barrios
jbarrios@tep.com
520-884-3725
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