SRP and Cox Communications partner to offer Community Solar rebate to Cox employees

In celebration of National Energy Awareness Month, Cox Communications and SRP are teaming up to promote the SRP Community Solar program, giving  Cox employees in Arizona the chance to go a little greener and save money on their home energy bill.

Beginning in 2015, Cox Communications will annually offer up to $100 in incentives for its Arizona employees who enroll in the SRP Community Solar program. Through the partnership, SRP will provide solar power at a set price of 9.9 cents per kilowatt-hour over five years and plant a tree on behalf of each Cox participant.

“Across the nation, we’ve incorporated solar power and energy efficiency into our operations,” said John Wolfe, Cox Communications’ senior vice president and southwest region manager. “Through our Cox Conserves program, we’ve heard from our customers, suppliers and employees that they also want to reduce energy consumption. Many individuals don’t own a house but still want to embrace renewable energy at home. The SRP Community Solar program gives them the opportunity to utilize solar – whether they are a renter or a homeowner.”

Cox employees can offset up to 50 percent of their annual energy consumption with solar power that is generated at Copper Crossing Solar Ranch, a 20-megawatt solar plant in Florence, Ariz. Copper Crossing Solar Ranch’s 66,000 high-efficiency solar panels track the sun throughout the day to produce up to 40 percent more energy than a stationary rooftop system. Since the Community Solar program began in 2011, SRP provides more than 2,700 residential customers and 97 schools with energy from Copper Crossing Solar Ranch.

“We are proud to partner with Cox to promote environmental stewardship and a commitment to green energy,” said Lori Singleton, Director of Emerging Customer Programs for Solar, Sustainability and Telecom. “Cox employees will be able to support solar energy and potentially save money on their energy usage.

The SRP Board has set a goal to meet 20 percent of SRP’s retail electricity requirements through sustainable resources by the year 2020. Currently, SRP is ahead of schedule – providing about 11 percent of retail energy needs with sustainable resources, including wind, geothermal, solar, landfill gas, biomass and hydropower as well as energy-efficiency programs. Learn more about the SRP Community Solar program at www.srpcommunitysolar.com.

Cox Enterprises, the parent company of Cox Communications, recently released the Cox Conserves Sustainability Survey, the first nationwide research to examine sustainability opportunities and challenges for small and medium-sized (SMBs) businesses. According to the data, SMB leaders named utility cost savings as the top benefit of sustainability and reducing energy consumption as the number one area where they want more guidance.

Cox Communications Arizona

Cox Communications is the third largest cable provider and a multi-service broadband communications company serving nearly 3 million residential and business product subscribers in Arizona (a product subscriber represents an individual service purchased by a customer). In metro Phoenix, Cox serves approximately 2.5 million product subscribers. In Southern Arizona, Cox serves approximately 400,000 product subscribers. Cox’s 18,500-mile hybrid fiber coaxial cable network throughout Phoenix and Southern Arizona provides homes and businesses with digital television, high speed Internet, home networking, high-definition television and digital telephone service over its own nationwide IP network. During the past nine years, Cox has topped numerous J.D. Power and Associates’ studies of customer satisfaction, most recently receiving top honors for residential telephone & high speed Internet, and business data services and has received PC Magazine’s “people’s choice” award for the sixth time. Additionally, Cox High Speed Internet has been ranked #1 for the past seven years on the “Ranking Arizona-Best of Arizona Business” list. Cox Media is responsible for the sale of cable advertising throughout Arizona. Cox Communications is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc and serves approximately 6 million customers nationwide. Additional information about Cox in Arizona is available at www.cox.com/arizona.

Salt River Project (SRP)

SRP is the third-largest public power utility in the nation, serving about 990,000 electric customers in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.  SRP is the largest provider of water to the greater Phoenix metropolitan area, delivering about 800,000 acre-feet annually to agricultural, urban and municipal water users.

For further information: Andrea Katesenes, Andrea.Katsenes@cox.com