APS is Committed to Flagstaff’s Dark Sky Initiative

At APS, keeping the lights on is a top priority, and has been for more than 130 years. At the same time, being a champion of Flagstaff’s Dark Sky initiative means that APS pays careful consideration to the type of APS-owned lighting fixtures installed in streets in communities with dark-sky requirements.

As the world’s First International Dark Sky City and Arizona’s leading astronomy hub, Flagstaff holds a unique responsibility for preserving dark skies in the area and being an example for other cities striving to become dark-sky friendly.

Working with the City of Flagstaff and as a supporter of Flagstaff’s Dark Skies Coalition’s annual Star Party, APS is committed to ensuring that all APS-approved fixtures meet Dark Sky Compliance, strengthening Flagstaff’s position as a dark-sky friendly city.

In addition to working with the City of Flagstaff, APS is involved with the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Street and Area Lighting Conference, which attracts lighting professionals from across the country and internationally representing utilities, municipalities, departments of transportation, consulting and engineering firms, research firms, manufacturing firms and educational institutions. The IES sets dark sky compliance standards and is a go-to for cities looking to become dark sky compliant.

“APS’s commitment to Arizona goes far beyond the electrical grid and deep into the communities we serve,” said APS Public Affairs Manager in Flagstaff Janet Dean. “Our environmental focus and natural resource management means that we support programs that celebrate [and] preserve the Southwest’s unique environmental landscape and strengthen communities.”

APS’s support for Flagstaff’s Dark Skies Coalition is just one way in which the company partners with our customers, employees, shareholders and suppliers to ensure the shared success of Arizona.​

In 2020, APS announced its commitment to serve customers with 100% clean, carbon-free energy by 2050. In the year since making the commitment, the company has made significant strides and has gone beyond the generation mix to help reduce emissions in other sectors. A key focus for APS is integration of electric vehicle charging stations to help achieve overall carbon-reduction and air-quality goals, not just in Flagstaff, but throughout the state. With 34,000 electric vehicles already on Arizona’s roads, easy access to charging stations may help even more drivers go electric.

Through the Take Charge AZ pilot program, APS covers the cost of installing and maintaining equipment for Level 2 charging stations at businesses, government agencies, non-profits and multi-family communities. At year-end 2020, 84 charging stations were installed through this pilot. The goal is to have 200 to 400 Level 2 ports across APS service territory by the end of 2021.

In Flagstaff, Take Charge charging stations have been installed or are in the process of being installed at multiple city and Coconino County facilities, including City Hall, the Aquaplex, the Downtown Library, Pulliam Airport, the county’s King Street facility, as well as multiple private businesses. Now, through a new APS partnership with Electrify America, more charging infrastructure will help make for a reliable EV experience on longer road trips.

For its commitment to Flagstaff and the environment, the Flagstaff Dark Skies Coalition and Flagstaff Business News honors APS as this month’s Dark Sky Champion. FBN

September kicks off six weeks of free public activities including telescope viewing, concerts, art exhibits, presentations, performances and constellation tours during Celebration of the Night and the Flagstaff Star Party (Sept. 30-Oct. 2). For more information, visit FlagstaffStarParty.org.