Tucson Electric Power

–Who’s Green? Advertising Partner–

tep-bright-logoCaring for Our Environment: Preparing for Southern Arizona’s Energy Future

At Tucson Electric Power, we recognize that a clean, safe and healthy environment is essential to the community’s well-being. That’s why we devote so much of our attention to preserving or improving our quality of life.

Alternative Fuel

TEP’s fleet of more than 190 diesel-fueled vehicles runs on bio-diesel, a non-toxic, environmentally friendly fuel produced from soybeans. In 2009, TEP purchased 226,043 gallons of 80/20-blended bio-diesel, greatly reducing vehicle emissions. TEP’s lighter-duty fleet of more than 280 vehicles, including small pick-ups, SUVs and vans, includes seven hybrid vehicles and 94 flex-fuel vehicles, which can run on a blend of up to 85 percent ethanol

tep-sunflower

Green Waste Recycling

Tree limbs and brush trimmed from around utility poles and power lines are made into high-quality fertilizer rather than being discarded in landfills. A large-capacity mulching operation at a TEP generating station also recycles wood waste from commercial landscaping operations in Tucson. More than 8,000 tons of green waste will be produced at the Irvington site this year. The waste will then be used as planting soils on 50 acres of cultivated land at the Civano Plant Farm on the Old Nogales Hwy. In 2010, this green waste will help Civano Farm to grow close to 1,000,000 plants.  Of those plants, 170,000 will be trees, most of which will be planted in Pima County.

Travel Reduction Program

TEP encourages its employees to carpool or take advantage of alternate modes of transportation. In 2007, these efforts contributed to a 618,368-mile reduction in the number of miles driven by our employees, sparing our local environment from 17,667 pounds of automobile emissions.

Burrowing Owl Relocation Project

Since 2004, TEP’s Sundt Generating Station has provided a home for 20-30 burrowing owls, depending on migratory patterns. In partnership with the Arizona Game and Fish Department and a non-profit organization, Wild at Heart, 45 Community Action Team volunteers worked to create artificial burrows to relocate owls displaced by development in their native habitats. In 2007, eight new babies hatched at TEP and were tagged by Game and Fish to help keep track of members of this species of special concern.

Visit the Tucson Electric Power website for more details.