APS Energy Services Announces: Bank One Ballpark Cooling Downtown Phoenix; Diamondbacks Home will be Part of Innovative District Cooling System.

Sports Editors/Baseball, Basketball and Football Writers

PHOENIX--(BW SportsWire)--June 7, 2001

Bank One Ballpark not only is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but thanks to a unique partnership, is helping to cool much of downtown Phoenix.

Northwind Phoenix, a venture of Phoenix-based APS Energy Services, officially unveiled its ice storage and chilled water facility, located just south of Bank One Ballpark, this morning. The plant is scheduled to become operational June 14.

"We're excited about what this project will mean to Bank One Ballpark and all of downtown Phoenix," said Arizona Diamondbacks President Rich Dozer. "When the ballpark was built we projected additional economic benefits would flow to downtown as a result of the stadium's construction. This cooling system is one prime example."

America West Arena, home of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes, Phoenix Mercury and Arizona Rattlers is the latest to commit to the project. The arena will join other downtown buildings that no longer will have to maintain their own cooling systems.

Ice storage works by producing air conditioning ahead of the moment of need. The cooling district will use an ice-based chiller system to manufacture 3 million pounds of ice each night when utility loads and rates are lowest. During peak periods, the ice will be melted through an underground distribution network for use in air-conditioned buildings.

The water then is returned to the icemaker for reconditioning. Bank One Ballpark, for example, will reduce its electrical demand by 40 percent because it no longer will have to maintain its own cooling equipment.

Bank One Ballpark signed on as the project's first customer in 1999 after review by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. The county owns the stadium and leases it to the Diamondbacks. Use of the ballpark's chillers in the cooling network was an integral component of Northwind Phoenix's development plans.

Northwind Phoenix assumes operation and maintenance of Bank One Ballpark's existing chillers, including all capital repairs and necessary replacements.

The 20,000-ton cooling system plant consists of the existing 8,000 tons of chillers at Bank One Ballpark, two new 2,500-ton chillers, and an ice-based thermal storage tank with a capacity of 36,000 ton-hours. The new plant is located behind the ballpark and is integrated into the stadium's existing chiller facility.

The ballpark's chillers that previously were used to cool the domed stadium now also will help cool downtown business and residential buildings as part of this network.

Bank One Ballpark and America West Arena are joined along the cooling district's route by the Dodge Theater, as well as Maricopa County's new jail and administration buildings, and the recently purchased historical Security Center.

Northwind Phoenix already has sold more than 60 percent of its cooling capacity and expects to sell out the remaining capacity by late 2002.

"The initial round of commitments from customers has been phenomenal, and has exceeded all of our expectations," said Jim Lodge, vice president and general manager for Northwind Phoenix.

"From this month forward, downtown Phoenix businesses can benefit by eliminating all the risks and costs to purchase and operate their own air-conditioning system from this proven and energy-efficient state-of-the-art technology. With energy usage being such a vital issue these days, this system will further assist in those efforts."

America West Arena, along with the other existing and future customers residing in Copper Square can receive the chilled water from the cooling district's underground piping network, which stretches from Jackson Street north to Van Buren Street, and from 7th Street west to 7th Avenue. The ice for the system will be stored in a tank measuring 70 feet long, 40 feet wide and 40 feet high.

APS Energy Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. (NYSE: PNW). Established in 1997, APS Energy Services offers energy-related products for business and residential customers.