PNW · 10-Q · 2026Q2 · Full report

Data Center / Load Growth

PINNACLE WEST CAPITAL CORP · 2026-08-04 · Importance 60 · Surprise 40 · No source text

APS served approximately 1.5 million retail customers across 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, with retail customers increasing 2.1% year over year through June 30, 2026. Weather-adjusted retail electricity sales increased 9.5%, including 13.6% growth from commercial and industrial customers driven by the ramp-up of new data centers and large manufacturing customers. APS expects retail sales to grow 4.0%–6.0% in 2026 and average 5.0%–7.0% annually through 2030, with data centers and large manufacturing facilities contributing 3.0%–5.0% of 2026 growth and 4.0%–6.0% of annual growth through 2030. Incremental requests from AI data centers and large manufacturers exceed available generation and transmission capacity in the Southwest for the foreseeable future, prompting APS to prioritize projects and pursue long-term contracts under its “growth pays for growth” strategy.

Key facts

• APS expects several data centers and large manufacturing facilities to contribute to 2026 growth in the range of 3.0% to 5.0% and to average annual growth in the range of 4.0% to 6.0% through 2030. source
• APS projects annual customer growth of 1.5% to 2.5% for 2026 and average annual growth of 1.5% to 2.5% through 2030. source
• Retail electricity sales, adjusted for weather, increased 3.9% for residential customers, 13.6% for commercial and industrial customers, and 9.5% for all retail customers for the period ended June 30, 2026 compared with the prior-year period. source
• Retail customers in APS’s service territory increased 2.1% for the period ended June 30, 2026 compared with the prior-year period. source
• For the three years through 2025, APS’s customer growth averaged 2.2% per year. source
• APS provides electricity for approximately 1.5 million retail customers in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties. source

Impact estimates