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Arizona Utilities Provide Grants to Coal Plant Communities to Support Economic Development, Infrastructure and Planning Efforts
Two organizations serving Arizona communities impacted by the transition away from coal-fired power plants will receive grant funds to support their local economies from the Utilities’ Grant Funding Program.
The program is jointly funded by Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) and provides critical support to develop new, sustainable economic strategies for residents and other organizations in affected communities.
The following recipients were recently selected in the seventh round of grants:
The City of St. Johns will receive a $25,000 grant to support the development of a comprehensive Master Plan for the city’s airport, which serves St. Johns and Apache County. The city’s current Master Plan is outdated and no longer aligns with the community’s needs. A new Master Plan will evaluate the airport’s current facilities, operations and capacity, as well as support forecasting of future demand needs to identify development goals.
The City of Page will receive $25,000 to hire a grant writer as the city looks to develop its “Roads to Opportunity” project, which will provide economic opportunity for the City of Page and the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation by connecting Highway 98/89 to the City of Page. The project will provide greater access to commercial areas for business development and support the creation of electric, water and broadband infrastructure, providing increased employment opportunities for local area residents. The project will also provide increased access to existing businesses in the area and employment opportunities by making the surrounding commercial areas more inviting to businesses looking to relocate to Page.
APS, SRP and TEP pledged a combined $1 million to the Utilities Grant Funding Program. APS and TEP funds for the Utilities Grants Funding program do not come from customer rates.
The eighth grant application cycle is open. Although TEP has reached its funding capacity for this program and will no longer fund applications until further notice, funding is still available through this program for areas served by APS and SRP. Applications are due by August 15, 2025. 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.
About APS
APS serves about 1.4 million homes and businesses in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, and is a leader in delivering affordable, reliable and clean energy in the Southwest. 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 about 1.1 million customers. SRP provides water to about 2.5 million Valley 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, irrigation laterals, and 131 miles of canals.
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.
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