We take active measures to protect and reinforce our network of about 1,500 miles of high-voltage transmission lines running through remote forests and desert areas in Arizona and New Mexico. Widespread outages can occur if these systems are damaged or shut down due to a wildfire, interrupting delivery of power to customers from remote generating resources.

“We recognize wildfires can present a significant threat to public safety and reliable service to our customers.  That’s why we continually inspect, repair and upgrade our equipment, and actively monitor for potential wildfires throughout the summer,” said Larry Robinson, Director of Land, Engineering and Project Management. “We’re ready to respond if a wildfire threatens our systems.”

Here are five ways ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ mitigates wildfire risks.

1. Strengthening our energy grid

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ designs our transmission systems to withstand fire-related risks. We install equipment on non-combustible steel poles and apply flame-retardant paint in high-risk areas. We’ve also improved the grounding and bonding procedures of power pole hardware to reduce ignition risks.

Our System Control operators monitor transmission equipment around the clock to identify faults and de-energize equipment as needed to support wildfire mitigation and suppression efforts.

2. Vegetation management

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ actively patrols and manages transmission line routes to keep trees and other vegetation from growing near electric equipment, which can affect reliability and create wildfire risks.

“We perform helicopter patrols of our transmission systems twice a year, once in the fall after the traditional summertime wildfire season and once in the spring after winter,” Robinson said. “We recently completed our spring patrols and didn’t observe anything that gave us any vegetation management concerns.”

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ performs ground patrols of our 138-kilovolt (kV) lines once a year and uses drones as needed to get a closer look at hardware, conductor connectors and other pieces of equipment. We also perform ground patrols of extra-high voltage transmission lines every five years. Typically, we use the full width of our right-of-way to keep vegetation more than 300 feet away from our 345-kV transmission system.

3. Emergency planning and preparedness

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ coordinates wildfire training and preparation efforts with neighboring utilities, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the Arizona State Land Department, tribal offices, private landowners and other agencies before and during wildfire events.

If wildfires approach our transmission systems, employees are assigned to coordinate with firefighting agencies and local officials at incident command sites. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ employees receive wildland fire training, which prepares them to respond to threats and coordinate more effectively with firefighting and land management agencies.

4. Situational awareness

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ employees review Arizona wildfire forecasts that predict the potential for fires. They also attend regional fire preparedness meetings and participate in wildfire response training in Arizona and New Mexico. Employees monitor state and federal wildfire and emergency management websites to identify potential threats near ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ systems.

5. Outreach and education

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ encourages customers to avoid potential fire risks by planting the “Right Tree in the Right Place” away from overhead power lines and other electrical equipment. We also use bill inserts, our “Plugged In” customer newsletter, our website and other channels to inform customers about our wildfire preparation efforts and about any active wildfires that could impact service reliability.

We also maintain open lines of communication with elected officials and regulatory agencies, including the Arizona Corporation Commission and the Office of the Governor.

In addition to these active measures, ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ is expanding its  wildfire risk mitigation practices. “This year, we’re developing a more robust wildfire mitigation plan. We’re performing an additional risk assessment of our service territories and other areas where our facilities are located,” Robinson said.

Utility industry practices in the West are evolving and ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ continues to monitor and learn from other utilities to evaluate and adopt practices that make our systems more climate resilient, while ensuring safe, reliable and affordable power is available to our customers. New practices under consideration include:

• Potential development of a public safety power shut-off (PSPS) plan. The plan would establish criteria for ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ to preemptively shut down certain facilities in high-risk areas during periods of elevated wildfire risk and ensure comprehensive communication with customers, first responders, regulatory agencies and local officials.
• Enhanced weather monitoring, smoke detection and other technological solutions for our facilities to mitigate fire risk.

Here are three ways we’re celebrating Earth Month:

Earth Day

Now in its 29^th year, Tucson’s Earth Day Festival was co-founded by ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ and the City of Tucson. This year, we’re sponsoring the April 20 event at Children’s Museum Tucson, another longstanding ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ partner.

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ representatives will distribute Net Zero Hero capes and shirts to those who pledge to support our aspirational goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Customers are asked to do their part to fight climate change by reducing our community’s carbon footprint, in alignment with the Earth Day theme. Learn more about the Net Zero Hero pledge.

Also at the event, participants can ride energy-generating bicycles, learn more about our energy resources and collect some energy-saving tips.

“When the concept for the very first Tucson Earth Day Festival began in 1995, the City of Tucson and ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ came together to launch the collaborative effort, and we’ve been an active participant ever since,” said Wendy Erica Werden, Manager of Community Investment and Philanthropy. “This festival is one way we show our commitment to working closely with our community partners to direct resources in support of environmental programs.”

The festival runs from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the museum, 200 S. Sixth Ave. Museum admission is free on that day.

Oro Valley Trees

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ is helping the Town of Oro Valley go green for its 50^th anniversary.

As part of its celebration, the town is planning to plant 50 trees at local parks. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ is donating 10 trees toward that goal and connected Oro Valley to our partner, , which extended discounts for the remaining trees.

The first of those trees will be planed at Town Hall by members of the Town Council on April 26, Arbor Day. The following day, the public is invited to help plant the remaining 49 trees at four parks: James D. Kreigh, Naranja, Riverfront, and Steam Pump Ranch.

“We always try to be conservation-minded and we get a lot of requests for trees in our parks. A lot of times, shade is overlooked when constructing parks,” said Matt Jankowski, Oro Valley’s Parks & Recreation Deputy Director. “This donation is wonderful. It is allowing us to stretch the funds available for us, so hopefully we can purchase more trees throughout the year.”

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ supports tree planting efforts to make communities greener, add beauty, and reduce the heat island effect. Our support has included $100,000 donated toward the in 2021. Our Trees for You program allows customers to purchase discounted shade trees that help conserve energy by keeping homes and businesses cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Learn more about the Trees for You program.

Tucson Zero Waste

Employees inspired by our company’s “green team” volunteer at waste collection events hosted by , including the most recent one on April 6, pictured here.

Thirteen volunteers, including friends and family members, gathered items to be reused and recycled this month.

During the free drive-through event, participants donated items that will be recycled, or properly disposed, such as medication, small furniture and housewares, E-waste, books, and clothing. Volunteers helped with traffic flow and supported various collection booths.

The collection event is held twice a year in April and November, giving residents the opportunity to avoid putting items in the trash. More than 30 ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ volunteers have contributed to these efforts over the years.

“Hundreds of community members participated at each of the events,” said Ariada Woods, a ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ Student Intern and Zero Waste volunteer. “It’s fulfilling to see the event support our community’s commitment to sustainability.”

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s “green team,” officially called Employees Creating Opportunities for Sustainability (ECOS), was formed to give employees a forum to work on promoting resource conservation, recycling and waste reduction both at work and after hours. More than 200 employees are part of the team, which hosts quarterly presentations and other opportunities.

Learn more about ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s focus on environmental stewardship.

The new technology is already transforming care for the 700-plus animals under the Museum’s care.

Previously, when animals needed an ultrasound exam, staff had to transport them off-site. This required sedating each animal and driving into town, adding stress to the animals and additional time for staff.

Now ultrasounds can be performed quickly right on site. Eliminating travel removes risk for vulnerable wildlife, while faster diagnostics means more timely care for animals in distress.

The Desert Museum set a fundraising goal of $20,000 for the new equipment and kicked off the fundraising campaign at its 2023 Desert Gala in April. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ offered to match all donations up to $5,000 and by evening’s end, more than $15,000 had been raised for the project. The remaining funding came from social media outreach campaigns.

The unit was put into service last summer.

“Having this technology on-site has been transformational for the vet team,” said Lynnae Wenker, Director of Philanthropy for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. “¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ made such a significant difference in allowing the Museum to acquire this top-quality technology to make veterinary care much easier for our animals. We’re so grateful for the many ways ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ supports the Desert Museum.”

Wendy Erica Werden, Community Investment Manager for ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ, said the donation supports our commitment to ensuring a vibrant quality of life in the place we live.  “As a company, we’re accelerating the transition to a cleaner energy future to support a more sustainable environment. That focus is really in alignment with the Desert Museum’s work to preserve and protect natural resources and animals in our unique environment and to ensure a brighter future for this special region.”

The awards are given annually to highlight meaningful work that protects our environment, preserves natural resources and advances sustainability.

“Our award recipients are being recognized for their exemplary leadership in modeling sustainable practices,” said Erik Bakken, Senior Vice President of Energy Resources and Chief Sustainability Officer.

“Sustainability is one of the core values at ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ, whether it’s expanding our use of renewable energy, helping our customers make wise choices around energy usage or volunteering at local events to help our neighbors. We congratulate these organizations that demonstrate their own commitment every day to doing a better job for the planet.”

This year’s award recipients include:

Sustainable Partner Award, Community Foundation for Southern Arizona

When nonprofit groups save on operational costs, they gain capacity to provide services that meet their core mission. The Community Foundation for Southern Arizona’s Nonprofit Solar Project offers organizations an opportunity to reduce their environmental footprint and strengthen their finances by satisfying some of their energy needs with solar power.

The Community Foundation and 20 nonprofit groups that share its midtown campus enjoy the benefits of solar power and offers a bank of electric vehicle charging stations to support drivers of zero-emission electric vehicles. Ultimately, thriving, healthy nonprofits support a thriving, healthy community.

Educational Partner Award, Tucson Unified School District

We’re recognizing Tucson Unified School District for its work to save energy and water in its schools across the region.

In partnership with ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ, roughly 90 percent of the district’s schools have upgraded from incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs through our program to increase the energy efficiency of schools. Those retrofits not only help save energy but also provide cleaner, brighter lighting to enhance the learning environment for students and teachers.

As part of an effort to save on operational costs, the district also has worked with ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ to modernize its HVAC systems in key schools, saving on maintenance and energy costs and increasing comfort across the building.

Smart Energy Partner Award, Sunnyside Unified School District

We all know teachers are cool. But in the summer, when many of them are home recharging and building out engaging lessons for the coming year, their home energy costs can climb with the rising temperatures. Sunnyside Unified School District was a strong partner in helping get the word out that ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ was offering a free smart thermostat to local school employees and their families to help them save on energy costs while keeping their homes comfortable.

The district also has set a goal of planting 100 trees to honor its 100-year anniversary in 2021 and is partnering with the University of Arizona to create learning opportunities for students around water conservation aligned with the state’s science standards.

Our Employees Creating Opportunities for Sustainability (ECOS) group was formed several years ago with encouragement from our leadership and some guidance from Gina Murphy-Darling, founder of .

The group includes 200-plus employees who are working to promote resource conservation, recycling and waste reduction in order to preserve the environment and reduce costs.

One of the group’s first initiatives was to partner with graduate students at the University of Arizona’s Eller College of Management to brainstorm ways to save resources and reduce costs at our company’s headquarters building. Their solution was simple and effective.

“We set the default settings on our shared printers to double-sided and black-and-white to save on paper and replacement ink cartridges,” explained Alisha Hurst, ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ Sustainability Analyst who serves as the ECOS Steering Committee Chair. “Driving sustainability is one of our corporate values and ECOS brings together like-minded employees committed to sustainability who want to learn from others and share their ideas.”

The group also established designated recycling bins in employee break rooms and organized volunteers to help coordinate the Sustainability event. The event brings community organizations together each spring and fall to collect and recycle or responsibly dispose of various items, such as medications, books, electronics, batteries and computers. The groups also provide respectful retirement for American flags and offers free shredding services for paper and documents.

The next Tucson Zero Waste Collection event is scheduled Saturday, April 15 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m.  at 2700 E. Speedway Blvd.

To keep employees engaged, ECOS hosts quarterly presentations focused on living greener. Topics range from proper recycling and eco-friendly cleaning products to water conservation and green gift giving.

“We try to bring in local experts to present on topics that ECOS members have told us they want to learn about,” Hurst said. “We look for sessions that will be practical and actionable so they can apply what they learn.”

For example, Jacy McGuire, Project Control Specialist in ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s Information Services, became a recycling warrior after learning how to recycle the right way at one of the presentations. Now she recycles as much as she can.

“There’s so much more to recycling that I never knew about, such as some plastics – but not all – can be recycled. I also never knew that items need to be empty, clean and dry before tossing them in the recycling bin.”

Employees also are invited to participate in fun and engaging challenges, such as Sustainability Bingo and the Carbon Reduction Challenge. By completing sustainable measures, employees earn eco-friendly swag or a small gift card to a local business.

That’s how IT Project Coordinator Brianne Mitchell learned about , which she started doing with her four-year-old daughter last summer. They’re tightly packing plastic scraps into large plastic bottles to form “bricks,” which they hope to use to build a bench for their back yard.

“We’ve only made about 5-6 bricks, mainly because we rarely buy disposable plastic bottles,” Mitchell said, “but it’s helped me teach my daughter about how we don’t throw trash on the ground outside. It also made my family realize just how much trash we produce, so we’re trying to reduce our footprint.”

Hurst said these individual actions, taken together, have a ripple effect.

“We all have a sphere of influence that we can use within our circles to make an impact. Little things can make a big difference if we all pitch in. The power for change can be exponential,” Hurst said. “When you care about something, it’s easy to take action if you know what you can do.”

They came together in a mural that guides visitors to a kiosk where they can purchase tickets to electric shuttles providing a quiet, emission-free experience in Sabino Canyon.

University of Arizona engineering students designed a solar-powered kiosk for visitors to purchase tickets to the Canyon Crawler, the electric shuttle that ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ helped launch in 2019. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ crews transported and delivered the shed, which has solar panels and batteries, to the recreation area’s overflow parking lot, which is open October to April.

But the plain shed didn’t do justice to the beauty of the surrounding desert landscape.

With appropriate color and design determined in coordination with the shuttle owner, Regional Partnering Center, and the U.S. Forest Service, the final piece marries the images of lush desert and vibrant sunsets.

It helps serve as a wayfinder for visitors. But for Pagac, who completed the piece after he finished hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, it was an honor to paint in such a beloved space. “I grew up in the Foothills and went to schools that are practically across the street, so it was cool to be up there with those memories. I also just appreciated being able to support the parks system, which gives us all an opportunity to hike and explore.”

UArizona engineering seniors designed the solar energy system to power the kiosk as one of the in 2020.

This project addressed a need for a ticket booth in a remote parking lot without electric service.

“This unique and self-sustaining ticketing booth is not only beautiful but also helps serve visitors while meeting the requirements of the Forest Service permit held by the shuttle operator,” said Steven Eddy, ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s Director of Public Affairs, who oversaw our involvement with the shuttle launch.

Since 2014, ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ has partnered with the UArizona to help seniors complete their capstone projects, which can be either practical or theoretical.

Other local companies and businesses support the projects as a way to help with research and development and tap local talent, said Ana Bustamante, Senior Director of Transmission & Distribution Engineering.

Because the parking lot is in an environmentally sensitive area, the goal was to keep interruption to a minimum and generate renewable energy. So ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ and the Pima Association of Governments (PAG), which oversees the nonprofit group that operates the shuttle, handed over the concept to the UArizona students.

PAG donated a metal container, while ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ supplied solar panels. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s Outside Services team helped move the container to our campus on East Irvington Road, where students could work on the project, called the Mobile Utility Connection, during the 2019-20 school year.

Colter Ogden, who was hired as a Transmission Interconnection Engineer after leading the project as a student, said he was immediately excited about the project because he joined the UArizona engineering program with hopes of working in renewable energy.

“A lot of what we do in engineering school is going to be theoretical,” Ogden said. “The chance to take the knowledge that you work four years on and put it into practice is super-rewarding.”

Two other team members also have since been hired by ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ: Ilse Morales Duarte as a Supply Side Planner and Spencer Gross as an Operations Planning Engineer.

“The whole company really just gets behind these student projects,” Bustamante said. “I want to thank all the people who helped this team along the way. This is just the kind of teamwork and innovation that lines up with our vision as a company.”

The project won awards during a May 2020 online ceremony honoring the UArizona projects, including placing first for “Innovation in Energy Production, Supply or Use” and the Frank Broyles Engineering Ethics Award.

That’s exactly why we’re asking a diverse group of stakeholders and local leaders to help us design a plan to satisfy our community’s future energy needs.

With more than a dozen members, ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s Resource Planning Advisory Council will meet over the next several months to evaluate potential energy options and provide input that will help guide ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s resource decisions over the next 15 years. Members include residential and business customers, environmentalists, low-income advocates, local government officials, educators, and representatives of the solar and electric vehicle (EV) industries.

“We’re excited to begin working with this diverse, knowledgeable group, sharing information about the resource opportunities and challenges we face,” said Lee Alter, a ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ energy resource planner who hosted the group’s first meeting last month.  “The community’s feedback is a critical part of this process. We appreciate the time and energy the members are contributing to help achieve our sustainability goals as we work to maintain reliable, affordable electric service for customers.”

Our community’s energy needs are growing, with new peak energy demand records set in both 2020 and 2021. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ is working to meet those needs with a cleaner energy mix. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s 2020 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) outlined our ambitious, achievable plan to provide more than 70 percent of our power from wind and solar resources while reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2035.

During last month’s meeting, ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s planning team offered an overview of current market conditions, including rising energy costs, coal supply issues, drought-related risks to hydropower and other challenges. The team also described ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s need to secure additional energy resources in coming years to maintain reliability, especially during the hottest months of summer.

Input from the advisory council will be incorporated into ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s next IRP, which assesses current and future energy needs while identifying potential ways to meet them. Our plan will include at least 10 potential resource portfolios that consider several factors such as cost, emissions reduction, and savings from energy efficiency programs. The plan will be filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission by August 2023.

By then, ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ will be well on its way to adding even more clean energy and capacity to its portfolio. We issued an all-source request for proposals (ASRFP)  in April 2022, seeking new wind and solar generation, energy storage systems and other resources that can commence service by May 1, 2025. The company received more than 100 proposals, the majority of which combine solar and battery energy storage. We plan to announce the outcome of the ASRFP as part of our 2023 filings.

The awards are given annually to highlight meaningful work that protects our environment, preserves natural resources and advances sustainability.

“Our award recipients are being recognized for their exemplary leadership in modeling sustainable practices,” said Erik Bakken, Vice President of Energy Resources. “Sustainability is one of the core values at ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ, whether it’s expanding our use of renewable energy, helping our customers make wise choices around energy usage or volunteering at local events to help our neighbors. We congratulate these organizations that demonstrate their own commitment every day to doing a better job for the planet.”

This year’s award recipients include:

Community Impact Partner Award – Tucson Clean & Beautiful Inc.

Trees mitigate the effects of climate change. They clean the air we breathe, they provide respite from the blistering desert sun and their calming beauty improves quality of life. Tucson Clean & Beautiful, which has been supporting low-cost shade trees in homes and neighborhoods since 1985, has been critical in helping our community address the urban heat island effect. The nonprofit counts more than 160,000 trees to its credit, providing $16 million in energy savings and extracting more than 200 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ is a longtime partner, contributing $100,000 to the organization last year in support of Mayor Regina Romero’s Tucson Million Trees campaign, which aims to plant 1 million trees by 2030.

Collaborative Partner Award – Tucson Premium Outlets

With consumers making sustainability-focused choices on where to spend their dollars, preserving the environment is an important effort that also makes good business sense. Tucson Premium Outlets is working toward ambitious water consumption reduction goals to complement a demonstrated commitment to recycling. It’s also in the midst of retrofitting more than 400 lighting fixtures with LED technology, which will save on energy costs over time, supporting its bottom line while reducing its carbon footprint. The Outlets also embraced EV charging by installing 10 dual-port EV charging stations, adding convenience for customers driving zero-emission electric vehicles.

Conservation Partner Award – City of Tucson Parks & Recreation

Water can’t be wasted in the desert. As part of its work to support healthy communities through environmental stewardship, the City of Tucson Parks & Recreation department recently tapped into available rebates to upgrade the irrigation booster pumps that feed the ponds, streams ad waterfalls at Reid Park. Unlike older pumps, which only have an on or off function, next generation pumps offer variable speeds and timing, helping the city save water and electricity. Rebate savings are being leveraged to replace older pumps at other parks across the city. The Parks department’s effort reflects the city’s overarching commitment to decarbonization, from reducing waste to electrifying transit, planting trees and capturing stormwater.

Eco-friendly Partner Award – Milagro Cohousing Community

Thoughtful design helps this 28-home sustainability-focused cohousing community save precious resources. Passive solar, rainwater cisterns and a water conservation system that includes wastewater treatment and recycling are just some of the features it uses to protect the environment. Supporting zero-emission electric vehicles were the natural next step. With the support of ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s Smart Charging Program, which helped offset the cost of three dual-port level 2 chargers, the community was able to help its residents have easy access to charging while reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Educational Partner Award – Sahuarita Unified School District

If students are to build the kind of future we want, adults have to model an environmental ethic for them. Often, that starts in school. The Sahuarita Unified School District has worked over the past decade to install solar systems, update its heating and cooling and invest in energy efficient lighting. Most recently, the district applied a rebate from ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ to equip three schools with a new energy management system designed to help control heating and cooling costs. In all, the district expects to save more than $1 million in electricity costs annually, helping the environment while providing strong stewardship of the dollars entrusted to them by community members.

Efficient Partner Award – Raytheon Technologies

Fortune 500 companies are successful because they build strategic roadmaps that define targets on their way to their goals. Decarbonizing takes the same kind of efficient approach. Raytheon, Tucson’s largest employer, has systematically implemented emission reduction initiatives through eight energy efficiency projects, offset by tens of thousands of dollars in rebates, in 2021 and 2022. Along with more efficient lighting projects, the company recently replaced 40-year-old chillers with modern equipment. Long-term energy savings and environmental benefits are the result of these energy efficiency improvements.

Sustainable Partner Award – YWCA Southern Arizona

Sustainability isn’t merely about promoting a clean environment. It’s also about supporting healthy, safe and equitable communities. YWCA Southern Arizona is a champion of that broader view. After launching its YClimateAction women’s leadership event to work toward a cleaner environmental future, the organization recently completed energy and water audits of its properties and is currently exploring ways to improve efficiencies. Committed to eliminating racism, empowering women and supporting underserved communities, the YWCA also recently joined the Tucson 2030 District to help spread the word to Tucson businesses, organizations and residents about energy efficiency, water conservation and reducing transportation emissions.

The 7-foot by 12-foot display features red and blue golf balls that race along winding steel tracks amid miniature campus landmarks like Arizona Stadium and Old Main. The balls represent energy generated by ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s Wilmot Energy Center, a solar-plus-storage system south of Tucson, and its Oso Grande Wind system in southeast New Mexico, both of which power the university’s main campus.

Built by Tucson-based Creative Machines, the rolling ball machine was unveiled this month near the Student Union Memorial Center’s south entrance. It serves as a visual representation of the Large Scale Renewable Energy agreement between the university and ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ, which began in July 2021.

The 20-year clean energy agreement satisfies all of the school’s purchased energy needs for its main campus, reducing its total carbon footprint by one-third. Here are a few fun facts about the display.

Standing tall

The miniature wind turbine encased in the ball machine is about 4 feet, 8 inches tall. That means you’d need to stack about 125 of them to match the height of Oso Grande’s largest wind turbines at about 600 feet (twice the height of the Statue of Liberty).

Nice device

The ball machine features several “devices” that move the balls around the display. These include:

• A Ferris wheel – a derivative of what Creative Design calls a “chaos wheel” – in UA colors that spins in a counterintuitive manner. Chaos theory is studied in mathematics, ecology and evolutionary biology, and other subjects at the university.
• A rotating auger that lifts the balls up an inclined plane, entering at the bottom and exiting at the top. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ also uses augers, but usually on drills that help us install power poles.
• A switch that directs balls either left or right. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ works around the clock to provide safe, reliable electric service for you anytime you flip a switch at your home or business.

What’s in a number?

Another device features miniature UA athletes doing the “wave” like visitors at Arizona Stadium. Here’s what some of the player numbers signify.

• Men’s basketball, 73 – McKale Center opened in 1973
• Football, 31 – UArizona’s first football game was played under flood lights in 1931
• Volleyball, 92 –Tucson Electric Light & Power Company formed in 1892

A first for Tucson

Creative Machines, headquartered in Tucson, was founded in 2001. Although it has installed more than 250 interactive exhibits around the world, the ball machine represents its first large-scale installation in Tucson. The company installed a small ball machine this year at Children’s Museum Tucson, where ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ sponsors the Electri-City exhibit.

Other Creative Machines installations around the world include “Le Reve de Newton,” a display located in the interactive Pass Museum in Frameries, Belgium that visually explores the concept of energy, the “Perpetual Nephron Machine,” a traveling display designed to describe the process of uric acid removal in patients with chronic kidney disease, and “Sweet Morning Love Tower,” a whimsical, pink, 40-foot-tall tower at a department store in Seoul, South Korea.

Through our ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ Gives program we’ll make a donation to a local nonprofit group for each customer who signs up for Budget Billing,Ěýe-billĚý´Ç°ůĚýAuto Pay. ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s donations in the second half of 2022 will go to the .

The Arizona Trail Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, maintaining, enhancing, promoting and sustaining the Arizona Trail as a unique encounter with the land.

The Association takes a multi-pronged approach in helping individuals connect with nature through a wide array of programs and services that include:

• Building new segments of trail to improve safety and sustainability
• Maintaining 800 miles of trail with the help of thousands of volunteers
• Enhancing water sources for trail users and wildlife
• Providing no-cost, inspiring outdoor experiences for youth statewide
• Organizing weekend volunteer events for military veterans and their families
• Producing maps and information to encourage individuals and families to enjoy the trail

The Arizona Trail Association also advocates for the protection of public lands throughout Arizona. By working with local businesses, elected representatives and outdoor groups, the nonprofit group helps inspire others to connect with public lands and participate in stewardship activities.

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s contributions to the Arizona Trail Association and other charities are funded from corporate resources that won’t be recovered through our rates.

“The Arizona Trail is a critical statewide resource that not only shares the astonishing breadth of Arizona’s topography, but that makes the trail accessible to everyone from long-distance trekkers to families enjoying active weekend time together,” said Wendy Erica Werden, ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ’s Manager of Community Investment and Philanthropy. “Our support of the Arizona Tail is part of our longstanding commitment to protect and conserve our land, water, air and wildlife.”

Matthew Nelson, the Association’s Executive Director, said he’s grateful for the support of partners, like ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ, who help make the trail more accessible to all, including youth and families who might not otherwise have access.

“We are the happiest version of ourselves when we are outdoors. Whether our visitors enjoy hiking, running, mountain biking or horseback riding, the adventure of a lifetime is waiting for them on the Arizona Trail,” he said.

¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ Gives makes it simple to support our community by signing up for programs that help keep our energy service easy and affordable. Thanks to our customers signing up for these services, ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ contributed nearly $20,000 each in 2021 to the ,Ěý,ĚýĚý˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚý. Our partnership with Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse for the first half of 2022 helped provide $20,000 in support to that organization.

New beneficiaries will be selected throughout the year to provide customers with opportunities to direct charitable support a wide range of causes. Sign up online through ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ, the ¶¶ÄĚĘÓƵ Mobile App or by calling Customer Care at 520-623-7711.