Tucson Electric Power (TEP) is an electric utility company serving
southern Arizona
Southern Arizona is a region of the United States comprising the southernmost portion of the State of Arizona. It sometimes goes by the name Gadsden or Baja Arizona, which means "Lower Arizona" in Spanish.
Geography
Although Southern Arizona ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. It is a subsidiary of
Fortis, which announced its acquisition of parent company
UNS Energy UNS Energy is the parent company of Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services.
History
UniSource Energy was started in 1998 as the parent company for Tucson Electric Power. In 2003, the company acquired Citizens Communications
Frontier ...
in 2013.
Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium
Kino Sports Complex is a multiple-use sports complex in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox formerly utilized the complex's main ballpark, Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, for Cactus League games each March and had their ...
, a
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
stadium on
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
's south side, was once named
Tucson Electric Park
Kino Sports Complex is a multiple-use sports complex in Tucson, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox formerly utilized the complex's main ballpark, Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, for Cactus League games each March and had their ...
for TEP.
History
According to historian David Leighton, of the ''
Arizona Daily Star
The ''Arizona Daily Star'' is the major morning daily newspaper that serves Tucson and surrounding districts of southern Arizona in the United States.
History
L. C. Hughes was the Arizona Territory governor and founder of the ''Arizona Star'', ...
'' newspaper, around 1882, Royal A. Johnson started a light plant in Tucson in order replace Tucson's oil lamps with electric lights. His new idea received little support and his plant went belly-up after a couple years.
Frank E. "Red" Russell, an employee of the Western Union Telegraph Co., in Tucson, on occasion did repairs on the Arctic Ice Works, an ice plant that was also owned by Johnson. He learned of the failed light plant a few years earlier. This association with Johnson sparked an interest in lighting Tucson.
In 1892, Russell was one of a group of individuals that came together to form the Tucson Electric Light & Power Co. which was located at 116–120 N. Church Street (now Church Ave). Russell was named the first manager-operator of this new firm and was paid $40 a month. Four years later the company purchased the Tucson Gas Company and by 1901 it was known as the Tucson Gas, Electric Light and Power Co. In January 1902, J.J. Henry purchased the utility. A month later, he
sold it to U.S. Light and Traction Company.
In 1904, the generating facilities for the Tucson Gas, Electric Light and Power Co. were relocated to West Sixth Street, across from the Russell family home at 306 W. Sixth St. This new site would later serve as Tucson Electric Power Co.’s headquarters, from 1967 to 1999.
By 1907, Tucson Gas, Electric Light and Power Co. came under common ownership with
Tucson Rapid Transit
Sun Tran is the public transit system serving the city of Tucson, Arizona. In , the system had rides, or about per weekday as of . 100% of the fleet utilizes clean-burning fuels, such as compressed natural gas (CNG), biodiesel, and hybrid tec ...
. In 1910, United States Light and Traction was acquired by the newly formed Federal Light and Traction.
In 1930, control of Federal Light and Traction was acquired by
Cities Service
Citgo Petroleum Corporation (or Citgo, stylized as CITGO) is a United States–based refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. Headquartered in the Energy Corridor area o ...
. After the passage of the
Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935
The Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 (PUHCA), also known as the Wheeler-Rayburn Act, was a US federal law giving the Securities and Exchange Commission authority to regulate, license, and break up electric utility holding companies. It l ...
, Federal Light and Traction/Cities Service was forced to sell most of their operations. Tucson Rapid Transit was sold to W. Culver White, John B. Tigrett, A.V. Lindseth and L.A. Tanner. Tucson Gas & Electric was sold in a public offering.
In 1979, the gas operations were sold to
Southwest Gas
Southwest Gas Holdings, Inc. () is an investor-owned utility based in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
The company provides natural gas service to over 2 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in parts of Arizona, Nevada, and ...
and the company was renamed Tucson Electric Power.
In 1998, TEP created a new holding company,
UniSource Energy UNS Energy is the parent company of Tucson Electric Power and UniSource Energy Services.
History
UniSource Energy was started in 1998 as the parent company for Tucson Electric Power. In 2003, the company acquired Citizens Communications
Frontier ...
. TEP became a subsidiary
In 2016, Tucson Electric Power publicly announced a community partnership with a leading US Circular Economy apparel manufacturer with the intention to purchase its blue employee volunteer shirts from Fed By Threads, a Tucson-based company
Note: The new Tucson Electric Power headquarters at 88 E. Broadway sits on land that was part of the ground that Russell as a Tucson City Councilman and others obtained back in 1899.
Rooftop solar rates
For customers with rooftop solar panels who have a system to store excess energy, TEP proposed new rates with the
Arizona Corporation Commission
The Arizona Corporation Commission is the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Arizona, established by Article 15 of the Arizona Constitution. Arizona is one of only fourteen states with elected commissioners. The Arizona Constitution exp ...
in 2018. The commissioners could incorporate an order made by an administrative law judge in April 2018 which recommended a special rate for solar customers who have home battery storage systems.
References
External links
Tucson Electric Power official site
{{Electric Utilities in AZ
Fortis Inc.
Electric power companies of the United States
Companies based in Tucson, Arizona
1892 establishments in Arizona Territory