CPS Energy trustees voted Jan. 23 to approve a long-range power generation plan for customers that will rely on a blend of gas, solar, wind and energy storage.
Leaders with CPS Energy said they look forward to the city-owned utility taking the next required steps to provide what they call reliable and affordable service to energy consumers.
A news release said the generation planning process considered replacing aging power plants and the continued use of coal while meeting the city’s climate goals, maintaining reliability and remaining competitively-priced in the nation’s fastest growing city.
CPS Energy said the board’s decision followed input from the community and the utility’s Rate Advisory Committee.
CPS Energy trustee and RAC board liaison Francine Romero said in a statement that the process toward developing such a long-term power generation plan, good through 2030, reflects community prioritization of both reliability and environmental sustainability.
“I am proud of the work the committee and our CPS Energy team have done in evaluating options to power our community, and look forward to continued collaboration and communication as leadership executes on the plan,” Romero added.
CPS Energy President/CEO Rudy Garza said there will be ongoing discussions between the utility and residents about how emerging technologies will allow CPS Energy to pursue innovation and decarbonize its energy production footprint while ensuring users have reliable amounts of electricity during extreme events.
“Our team is now focusing their time and attention to the next stage of this process—which is getting the work done to put this plan into place,” Garza said in a statement.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg said CPS Energy’s latest move will speed up the community’s path toward carbon neutrality by shifting permanently away from coal.
“It culminates a monthslong process by the Rate Advisory Committee. This plan is community informed and supported and will result in greater flexibility and cleaner air,” Nirenberg said in a statement.
CPS Energy officials also said they relied on consumer survey responses to develop the approved power generation plan. Results can be viewed at this link.
