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Sustainability at SRP

SRP’s focus on sustainability is reflected in our mission statement – SRP serves our customers and communities by providing sustainable, reliable and affordable water and power – and is a core component of our corporate strategy.

On this page:

    SRP is dedicated to making decisions through the eyes of future generations. This can be seen in actions such as our continued shift to cleaner energy sources and our unwavering focus on our 2035 Sustainability Goals.

    SRP 2035 Sustainability Goals 

    Our 2035 Sustainability Goals revolve around five key pillars: 

    Progress year over year 

    Every year, SRP reviews the progress made toward meeting our 2035 Sustainability Goals based on key indicators. Each of these goals, and their related sub-goals, have key indicators to measure progress. We have also developed five-year action plansDocument is a PDF for each goal that outline 2025 milestones and specific initiatives throughout the time frame that will contribute to overall goal progress. SRP reports progress on both the 2035 goals and the 2025 milestones annually. The current strategic execution phase covers SRP’s fiscal years 2020 to 2025 (calendar years 2019–2025).

    See how we're progressing toward these goals. Download the 2022 reportDocument is a PDF.

    Carbon Emissions Reductions

    SRP is committed to cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions — the primary greenhouse gas — in every aspect of our business, from power generation to our day-to-day internal operations.

    When measuring carbon emissions, SRP follows industry best practices and uses a protocol developed by The Climate RegistryOpen new site. (TCR). We use a system of measurement known as “carbon intensity Open tooltip to learn more..” This metric enables SRP to reflect and compare impacts to our carbon footprint as resource mixes and customer demands change over time.

    In FY22, market pricing for natural gas rose significantly.To keep energy prices low for our customers and to balance regional demand, SRP increased levels of coal generation, which carries a higher emissions footprint. This caused our generation carbon intensity to rise to 1,020 pounds CO2/MWh, which is an 11% increase from FY21. These market conditions are likely temporary but will continue in the near term.

    Despite this, SRP has managed to reduce our carbon intensity by 35% since 2005, even with total electricity retail sales in our service territory increasing by 28% during the same time period. Our long-term planning efforts continue to ensure meaningful emissions reductions through 2035 and beyond, especially as future resource changes like our upcoming 2,025 MW of solar generation and coal plant retirements occur.


    Completion toward 2035 goal

    Goal: Reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by generation (per MWh) by 65% from 2005 levels.

    Goal completion status

    Last updated:  Jan 1, 2023

    54%


    2022 Carbon reduction successes

    Awarded Climate Registered™ Platinum Status as a US Climate Leader

    Read about it

    Brought our largest battery storage facility online

    See how we did it

    Added 900 MW of renewable energy from four solar plants

    Find out more

    Offered customers new green options, including access to utility-scale solar through the SRP Solar Choice™ program

    Learn more


    2022 highlights

    Generation Carbon

    Finalized multiple carbon-free power purchase agreements for a total of 961 MW.

    Facilities Carbon and Water

    Received one Platinum, one Gold, and one Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Developed a sustainability checklist and new construction workflow for SRP projects.

    Fleet Carbon

    Installed telematics in all fleet equipment and completed a department level idle reduction pilot that resulted in 8.9% decrease in idle time during the last quarter of FY22. Completed electrification of SRP sedan fleet (130 EVs).

    Water Resiliency 

    SRP was born out of the need to maintain a safe, reliable and resilient water supply. And it’s a mission to which we remain fully dedicated. SRP manages two watersheds (Verde and Salt) totaling 8.3 million acres, seven dams and over 131 miles of canals to ensure water resiliency and an adequate supply for future use. Working with tribal partners, municipalities and the communities we serve, we are always developing new conservation strategies and exploring new water resources.


    Completion toward 2035 goal

    Goal: Store 1 million acre-feet of water supplies.

    Goal completion status

    Last updated:  Jan 1, 2023

    99%


    2022 Water resiliency successes

    Using weather balloons, SRP meteorologists can help predict storms and limit their impact on our power and water systems

    Read the story

    Led and coordinated the initiation of a federal feasibility study to explore ways to improve water availability from Verde River reservoirs

    Read the story

    SRP Reservoirs Continue to be Resilient

    See how water is managed

    2022 highlights


    Generation Water

    Achieved a 5.6% water intensity reduction (gallons/MWh) in FY22 from the FY16 baseline.

    Water Storage

    Stored a total of 990,345 acre-feet from 2015 through 2021, representing 99% goal completion.

    Facilities Water

    Employed software to monitor and reduce water and energy use at an SRP facility.

    Irrigation at Facilities

    Began Smart Irrigation program at SRP facilities to help set, automate and conserve landscaping water usage. Installed smart irrigation at large conference center for water conservation.

    Customer & Grid Enablement 

    SRP will continue to ensure the reliability, flexibility and security of our grid through innovative applications, optimizing existing resources, and robust monitoring and analytics.This will enable customers to take advantage of advanced technologies and energy solutions. 

    Learn about progress toward enabling our customers and the grid in the 2023 Customer Programs ReportDocument is a PDF.


    Completion toward 2035 goal

    Goal: Support the enablement of 500,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in SRP’s service territory and manage 90% of EV charging.

    Goal completion status

    Last updated:  Jan 1, 2023

    6%


    2022 Customer & Grid Enablement Successes

    Continued research and development on EV advancements and the grid of the future

    See one of the projects

    Offered free energy savings kit program for limited-income customers

    Learn more about the program

    Honored business customers for demand response and electrification efforts

    See 2022 winners

    2022 highlights


    Energy Efficiency

    Generated 589,671 MWh of incremental energy savings, 9% greater than the FY22 target.

    Grid Enablement

    Established official goal metric; percent of customer distributed energy resources (DER) interconnection applications approved (i.e., solar photovoltaic, battery storage).

    Electric Vehicle Adoption

    To help advance electric vehicle adoption, held Ride and Drive Event as part of the Transportation Electrification Activator* alliance.

    Microgrid

    Enabled commercial customer to install microgrid complete with solar and battery storage.

    Transportation Electrification

    Participated in City of Phoenix Electric Vehicle Ad Hoc Committee to advance transportation electrification. Supported the enablement of 29,273 EVs within SRP’s service territory through FY22, 27% greater than the FY22 target.

     

    Supply Chain Management & Waste Reduction 

    SRP is reinforcing our efforts to promote a sustainable supply chain and reduce waste. By managing our product choices and employing thoughtful purchasing strategies, we can meet and exceed sustainable best practices. SRP is already a leader in this area and is routinely recognized for our efforts in recycling, reusing and repurposing operational waste materials to keep them out of landfills.

    2022 Supply Chain Management & Waste Reduction Successes

    Researched concrete applications for old cable waste

    Read the story

    Developed paper towel composting program across SRP facilities

    See how we did it

    2022 highlights

    Industrial Waste

    Diverted 82% of non-hazardous industrial solid waste sent to Investment Recovery and reduced total annual tons generated by 25% from FY20 levels.

    Supplier Sustainability

    Introduced a sustainability criteria tool called “The Sustainability Project” to suppliers that incorporated detailed requirements for sustainability.

    Facilities Waste

    Purchased large-scale composter for our conference and training center.

    Customer, Community & Employee Engagement 

    At SRP, we are committed to building a sustainable future for all, leading by example and enhancing the communities in which we live and serve.

    2022 Community Engagement Successes

    Recognized as a 2022 Tree Line USA® utility for our commitment to urban forestry

    Learn more about our efforts

    Held 15th annual SRP Water Conservation Expo™ with 2,200 customer attendees

    See the expo results

    Continued to build a network of diverse suppliers

    Find out more

    2022 highlights


    Forest Restoration

    Restored 22,163 acres of forest, bringing cumulative progress to a total of 47,886 restored acres through September 2021. Committed to 76,000 additional acres.

    Watershed Research

    Developed model with ASU to estimate the impact of forest thinning on storage conditions on the watershed.

    Customer Sustainability Rating

    Maintained a Sustainability Index score of 73, which is unchanged from FY21.

    Employee Recycling

    In FY22, SRP employees helped keep 7,000 pounds of waste from landfills during an internal waste recycling event.

    Developing a blueprint for the future 

    Looking through the lenses of sustainability, reliability and affordability, we’re developing a blueprint for how we plan for future generation, transmission and distribution resources as well as meet customer needs. The innovative planning process being pioneered at SRP is called Integrated System Planning, which has three overarching objectives:

    • Create a plan to grow SRP's energy generation through 2035.
    • Continue keeping costs affordable for our customers.
    • Meet or perform better than our 2035 Sustainability Goals.

    With this integrated, holistic approach, SRP is developing a roadmap for how to build the grid of the future in partnership with community stakeholders. We are working to create plans and policies to meet the evolving needs of our communities so that we’re prepared to serve the Valley for the next 100 years.