Flagstaff officials and representatives from Arizona Public Service (APS) on Oct. 21 highlighted a multi‑year citywide energy and water conservation project that retrofitted more than 6,500 indoor and outdoor lights to LEDs, installed smart irrigation controllers at parks, replaced hundreds of water meters, and added electric vehicle charging stations.

Danae (identified in the presentation as the city’s climate manager) told the council the project grew from a March 2023 council authorization and produced annual utility savings exceeding $225,000 and a reported reduction in municipal greenhouse‑gas emissions compared with the prior year.

APS presentation and rebates

Tony Majors, outreach manager for APS solutions, joined Janet Dean and account manager Ryan Weisner to present the utility’s recognition and a rebate. “I brought two things for the city of Flagstaff,” Majors said: a “big check for almost $65,000 in rebates” and a certificate noting an estimated savings of about 1,400,000 kilowatt‑hours from the 44 sites included in the lighting upgrades.

Majors said the company’s calculations translate to a substantial reduction in carbon and water‑use equivalents from reduced generation demand and emphasized collaboration between APS and the city.

Project components and impacts

City staff said the project replaced weather stripping, upgraded building envelopes at about 30 city buildings, installed smart irrigation at 17 parks, sent 179 water meters for lab testing (average accuracy ~96%), installed 14 EV charging stations, and upgraded over 6,500 lights to energy‑saving LEDs that also brought exterior fixtures into dark‑sky compliance.

Council reaction and next steps

Council members thanked staff and APS and asked staff to continue identifying partnership opportunities. Council member Garcia said he was “impressed” by the greenhouse‑gas metrics and by the ability to quantify reductions. Staff said APS rebates and the energy savings improve payback and help finance future efficiency projects.

Ending

Staff characterized the project as a model of cross‑departmental collaboration and a demonstration that energy‑efficiency investments yield measurable savings. APS and city representatives asked the council to accept the rebate presentation as formal recognition of the partnership.