Sierra Southwest Cooperatives, Inc. (Sierra Southwest) is proud to announce that it has been awarded $55.2 million in funding from the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program. This funding, authorized under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will go to support clean energy projects developed by Sierra Southwest for the benefit of Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (AEPCO) and its Class A electric distribution cooperatives. 

The awarded funds support the construction of battery storage systems across three locations in Arizona: a 10MW/40MWh system for Trico Electric Cooperative (Trico) in Sahuarita, Arizona; a 10MW/40MWh system in Cochise, Arizona, for Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC); and a 15MW/60MWh system in Fort Mohave, Arizona, for Mohave Electric Cooperative (MEC). These projects are pivotal in advancing the Arizona Cooperative mission to promote affordable, clean energy solutions, enhance resiliency, and expand local energy generation. Pairing existing solar generation with battery storage will harness daytime solar production to charge the batteries, providing a cost-effective energy source during peak demand in evening hours.

“These co-ops have made all these investments in solar energy, and that energy has been stored up and with these batteries now, they can release it back into the grid,” said Andy Berke, administrator of the USDA’s Rural Utilities Service. “And that is energy they don’t have to buy or generate elsewhere, getting the most that they can out of those investments and saving members money.”

Sierra Southwest and the Arizona Cooperatives are grateful to the USDA for selecting them as a PACE program funding recipient. 

“This support significantly bolsters our ongoing efforts to implement smart, affordable, and reliable clean energy initiatives for the benefit of our cooperative members and rural Arizona communities,” said Patrick Ledger, Sierra Southwest CEO. “We look forward to continued collaboration with the USDA in driving these essential projects forward.”

Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Inc. (AEPCO) is a not-for-profit generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative providing wholesale power and energy services to members and customers in four Southwest states.

Sierra Southwest Cooperative Services, Inc. (Sierra Southwest) is a not-for-profit G&T which provides a vehicle for investments in renewables, battery storage, and other projects to serve the needs of AEPCO’s members and customers.

Together, they operate as Arizona G&T Cooperatives.

For more information about Arizona G&T Cooperatives and its future projects, please visit www.azgt.coop.