Learn What TEP Is Doing to Protect Your Community & the Environment
Tucson Electric Power’s commitment to the communities they serve goes beyond delivering safe, reliable power. And for more than 125 years, TEP has remained true to their vision of improving and preserving the local environment to ensure current, and future generations of Southern Arizonans can enjoy a cleaner, healthier, and safer future.1
TEP’s Sustainable Initiatives and Environmental Stewardship
1. Home Solar Program
TEP’s Home Solar Program was created to provide local homeowners the opportunity to go solar and get clean energy with stable, long-term energy prices without having to pay a solar installation or maintenance costs.
TEP hired local solar companies to install a limited number of solar panel systems — owned, operated, and maintained by TEP — at the homes of participating customers. These new home solar systems support local Tucson communities and help maintain solar jobs.
TEP’s Home Solar Program is currently closed to new participants, but homeowners with existing solar installations will receive electrical service at a set, fixed monthly fee for up to 25 years; and this solar energy use also helps the stability and reliability of the electric grid.2
2. TEP GoSolar Shares
TEP’s GoSolar Shares program offers customers a simple, affordable, and commitment-free way to purchase renewable energy from TEP’s community-scale solar power systems in monthly 150-kilowatt-hour shares to covers some — or all — of their home energy needs.
If you sign up for TEP’s GoSolar Shares Program, you’ll be able to buy as little or as much solar energy as you want to electrify your home, and you can cancel at any time. On top of that, the energy supply part of your TEP electric bill covered by the GoSolar Shares Program remains fixed for 20 years, and all your solar shares are exempt from additional charges. So if the cost of grid electricity happens to go up, you could experience even greater money-saving benefits thanks to your TEP GoSolar shares.
Enroll in TEP’s GoSolar Shares Program.
3. Electric Vehicles
TEP is boosting the use of electric vehicles in Arizona’s Tucson Metro Area by offering customers discounted electric service, reduced charging rates and maintenance costs, along with access to federal tax-deductible credits of up to $7,500.
TEP home customers who own and drive an electric vehicle can enjoy lower-cost electrical charging by signing up to TEP’s TOU or Demand TOU pricing plans. Plus, in Arizona, electric vehicles are exempt from emissions testing; and when you own an electric vehicle, you can access high-occupancy vehicle freeway lanes at any time, regardless of the number of passengers inside your car.3
4. Vegetation Management
While trees and other vegetation are an important part of every community, sometimes they grow near power lines and electrical equipment. That’s why TEP regularly prunes trees and vegetation in Southern Arizona to avoid potential power outages, safety issues, and low voltage without impacting the benefits trees bring to people and wildlife in the area.4 For vegetation management questions or concerns, please contact TEP at 520-623-7711.
TEP also launched the “Trees for You” program, a comprehensive urban forestry initiative aimed to help customers lower their energy usage and keep their home beautiful by planting shade trees at a discounted price through TEP’s partnership with local nurseries.5 You can order up to three 5-gallon shade trees for only $5 each by logging into your TEP account.
5. Wildlife Protection
TEP is making significant efforts to protect wildlife from all electrical equipment by partnering with biologist consultants at the University of Arizona to identify, evaluate, and resolve the parts of TEP's infrastructure that needs protection to reduce the dangers of electric grid equipment to animals and birds in the area.
At the same time, TEP is actively looking for new volunteers to collaborate with area not-for-profits that are in wildlife protection education, like the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, Pima County National Resources, and the Tucson Audubon Society.
TEP’s Committed to a More Sustainable Future, Are You?
Switching to solar with a company like Sunrun will help you reduce your carbon footprint and let you take control of your home energy for years to come. Besides, with our BrightSave™ Monthly and BrightAdvantage™ plans with a home solar battery, you could start your solar journey in Tucson for little to $0 down.
Request your free, personalized solar quote, today — Surun serves all TEP customers. But don't take our word for it, see what our customers are saying about us.