ACC Approves AEPCO Natural Gas Units


ACC Approves AEPCO Natural Gas Units

October 12, 2022

Trico Electric Cooperative is pleased by the decision of the Arizona Corporation Commission, approving Arizona Electric Power Cooperative’s (AEPCO) financing application for efficient, fast-ramping natural gas units at AEPCO’s existing Apache Generating Station. Trico has partnered with AEPCO to buy power from these units, and the decision will help Trico in its mission to provide sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions to our Members.  

Trico has set a goal of reducing its emissions by 50% by 2032, and we will achieve that goal by significantly increasing our solar generation resources. Trico recently commissioned our Chirreon Solar and Battery Facility (Chirreon) in Pinal County.  With Chirreon, our existing Avion Solar Facility near the Marana Airport, our SunFarm at our headquarters in Marana, and our portion of the Apache Solar Facility, we have over 25MW of solar generation capacity.  Trico also has 15MW of battery resources (at Chirreon) and expects to add another 25MW of battery capacity in 2023.  In the coming months, we expect to announce additional projects that will significantly expand our solar and battery resources.  

The newly approved gas units are vital to support this expansion of solar resources because they provide fast-ramping, all-hours reliability. Maintaining a diverse set of generation resources helps Trico maintain reliability, meet its emissions reductions goals, and keep costs down. These newly approved units are cost-effective, more efficient, and even have the ability to operate using green hydrogen as fuel, in the future.

We appreciate the work of AEPCO’s team and thank the Arizona Corporation Commission for supporting Arizona’s electric cooperatives. As always, Trico is dedicated to serving our Members with sustainable, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions.

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Power Cost Adjustor Increase Beginning October 2022


Power Cost Adjustor Increase Beginning October 2022

October 10, 2022

Over the last year we have all seen the effect of inflation on food, consumer products, and gasoline. There have also been increases in the cost of natural gas and even coal, during that same time-period. In addition to our growing renewable generation resources, Trico purchases power that is fueled by coal and natural gas. These increased fuel costs have increased the price of power needed to serve Trico’s Members’ load.

Built into Trico’s rates is a Wholesale Power Cost Adjustor (PCA), which allows for increases or decreases in power costs to be “flowed” into Trico’s rates.  When power prices are low, Trico can offer a credit to its Members. When power prices rise, sometimes it becomes necessary to add a charge.  Since 2017, low fuel prices have allowed Trico to approve almost $22 million in credits to be returned to its Members through the PCA.

As a result of the increased fuel costs experienced throughout the industry, Trico is now instituting a charge. Each month the Management and Board will review fuel cost projections, consider the impacts on Trico’s finances, and determine how to best adjust the PCA. 

As a non-profit cooperative, our mission is providing cost-effective energy solutions, and with that in mind Trico has identified three principles to guide this process:

  1. Minimize cost impacts on Members​
  2. Avoid large PCA variations month-to-month​
  3. Treat residential and commercial Members equitably​

We also continue to take active steps to minimize fuel costs and keep prices low. For example, we “hedge” (purchase gas ahead of time at predictable prices) our natural gas purchases to control the cost and risk, and we sell excess power to produce revenue that reduces the amount we charge our Members.

We do expect that a PCA charge will be necessary for the remainder of 2022 and into 2023, but this will be reexamined each month with the above principles in mind. You can see the PCA on your monthly bill under the sections titled “Current Service Detail.” If you have questions, please contact us.

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Let’s stay connected

Has your phone number, address or email changed recently?

Please take a minute to update your contact information on SmartHub at trico.smarthub.coop, call us at (520) 744‑2944 or email us at memberservices@trico.coop.

Accurate information enables us to improve member service and enhance communications for reporting and repairing outages. Up-to-date contact information can potentially speed up the power restoration process during an outage. For example, the phone number you provide is linked to your service address in our outage management system. This means when you call to report an outage, our system recognizes your phone number and matches it with your account location. Accurate information helps our outage management system predict the location and possible cause of an outage, making it easier for our crews to correct the problem.

We will never share your information with any third parties.

Log in to your online account — from our website or the SmartHub mobile app — and verify your contact information (including your email address). Haven’t set up your online account yet? Click here to create a SmartHub account.

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