PHOENIX (AP) β Arizona's largest electricity provider says the average time for peak power demand in the summer is significantly later than from four years ago, largely because of the increasing popularity of rooftop solar.
Phoenix-based Arizona Public Service Co. says the average summer peak during 2016 was 5:15 p.m. That's 45 minutes later than the 4:30 p.m. average peak during summer months in 2012.
APS says the shift isn't surprising because total energy installed on customers' rooftops across Arizona has doubled and even tripled year over year.
The utility says that shifts demand for its electricity to later in the day when the sun is descending and solar power on the grid is declining.
