Energy Secy. Perry visits APS facility
U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry said on a Friday stop in Arizona that the country is striving for an “all of the above” energy policy with increased use of renewable energy and nuclear power.
Perry — a former Texas governor and two-time contender for the Republican presidential nomination — visited a battery-storage project owned by Arizona Public Service Co. in the far West Valley.
The battery, about the size of a small house, is used to help manage the power grid in the area where several dozen people have solar on their homes.
It was impossible not to note the rain as state utility regulators; Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz.; and others crowded under umbrellas to listen to Perry talk about solar and batteries.
“Today is a great example of an allof-the-above energy policy, which this country is striving for,” Perry said.
He applauded APS’ investment in renewable energy.
“The growth we are seeing in our renewables, this is just a great moment in time for the United States of America and the energy resources we have,” Perry said.
He said clean energy does not have to be incompatible with a strong economy.
“You can have economic growth, you can create jobs and wealth and improve people’s quality of life, and have an environment that is cleaner — that’s President Trump’s goal here,” Perry said.
APS plans additional batteries
APS uses the battery Perry visited to balance out fluctuations on the power grid from the unusually high number of people with solar in the Festival Ranch development.
APS installed about 70 of the systems for customers, and several others installed their own solar.
APS uses the battery and another like it in the area to regulate the power supply in the area when clouds pass overhead or when the solar panels cause other fluctuations on the system.
The project has been in service since 2017, and APS on Thursday announced a
much larger investment in battery technology.
The company said it will install 850 megawatts of battery capacity in various projects through 2025.
The two batteries already installed, like the one Perry visited, have a capacity of one megawatt with one hour of storage.
They can discharge enough electricity to supply about 500 homes for an hour, 250 homes for two hours, or other variations of time and power.
The multiple batteries APS is planning to add now will be able to power about 212,500 homes for three to four hours.
Perry said America is sometimes challenged by other nations, but he and the president intend on maintaining U.S. leadership in renewables.
“This progress that we are seeing, I will suggest — and I think I’m correct in this — is a result of American ingenuity and American technology,” Perry said. “The holy grail of this whole renewableenergy quest is in battery storage.”
Perry says nuclear important
As Energy Secretary, Perry is the head of the government agency overseeing nation’s nuclear weapons, energy supply and 17 research laboratories.
He said nuclear energy is important, both in his prepared remarks and in response to a media question.
“The president is clearly focused on having a diverse portfolio, nuclear being a part of that,” he said during his prepared remarks.
During his time at the Energy Department, the agency has announced three rounds of grants for advanced nuclear reactor research worth $98 million.
Among those was a grant for Corvallis, Oregon-based NuScale Power, which is working on having a new reactor available in 2026
A Mesa company called Urbix Resources also is among the award winners from the Energy Department under Perry’s leadership.
The company got $320,000 last year to work on graphite used in nuclear reactors.
In response to a question about the role of nuclear power in the U.S., Perry said the United States needs to continue to lead and support nuclear energy, not only to maintain a reliable energy supply, but also to ensure nonproliferation of weapons.
“America needs to continue to be engaged in the development of the next generation of nuclear power,” Perry said.