By Ryan Randazzo | The Republic | azcentral.com
Solar power might be the popular kid on the block in Arizona, but far more utility customers participate in energy-efficiency programs than put solar on their roofs, and far more will be affected if those programs are cut, as regulators propose.
Arizona Public Service Co., for example, has about 29,000 customers with rooftop solar, among the most of any U.S. utility. But that pales in comparison with the hundreds of thousands of customers who have energy-efficient appliances, well-built homes and use low-watt lightbulbs, all funded in part by the company’s efficiency program.
“We estimate that about 40 percent of our 1.1 million customers have participated in our programs,” said Jim Wontor, energy-efficiency manager for APS.
Related: Arizona’s approach to energy efficiency sets a ‘high bar’
