Arizona's two largest utilities reported record-setting energy demands last week. And for APS, early information shows data centers were the largest drivers in peak energy demand growth year over year.
Data centers were responsible for nearly 7% of APS’ record demand last week, using up to 630 megawatts on Friday.
That’s about 200 megawatts more than data centers used during APS’ peak demand in 2025.
That means data centers drove half of the total 400 megawatts of peak demand growth APS saw this year compared to its previous record.
APS did not say how much power was consumed by other customer classes like industrial users or residents.
SRP saw a similar record demand on Friday, but was unable to provide information on how data centers contributed.
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Strong winds struck the West Valley overnight, leaving more than 5,000 people still without power on Monday morning. -
Mayes first filed a lawsuit against the park last year. She said management didn’t tell residents about a faulty electrical system, which led to frequent power outages during dangerous summer heat. -
Tonto National Forest will be closing Canyon Lake later next month so the Bureau of Reclamation and SRP can conduct dam safety inspections and maintenance. -
Coal-fired power generation jumped 13% in the U.S. last year, according to a recent report from the federal Energy Information Administration. That helped push carbon emissions from the power sector up about 4% — the first rise after years of declining emissions. -
Residents were unanimous in their call for a ban on data centers, but city staff say that would likely be prohibited under state law.
