About

Community participation continues to drive energy savings, lower demand, and offer
new opportunities.

For more than 15 years, CPS Energy’s Sustainable for Tomorrow Energy Plan (STEP) programs have helped customers in our community save energy and money.

Launched in 2009, the original STEP program had a goal of reducing energy demand by 771 MW. With the support and commitment from our community, CPS Energy exceeded that goal ahead of schedule and under budget. In 2022, the program evolved into a five-year initiative that aims to reduce community demand by 410 MW, achieve annual energy savings of 1%, weatherize up to 16,000 homes, and avoid 1.85 million tons of carbon emissions.

Today, STEP includes more than 25 programs designed to help residential and commercial customers use energy more efficiently and saving money.

“STEP creates paths for our customers to participate in saving energy and money,” said Ana Lozano, director of technology and product innovation at CPS Energy. “Whether it’s making a home or apartment more energy efficient or helping an EV driver shift charging to off-peak hours, these programs are giving customers more choices while helping us meet the energy needs of our growing community.”

Program Highlights

Over the past four years, CPS Energy has expanded existing STEP programs and introduced new options to help more customers.

The Multifamily Program, which began as a pilot, has now transitioned into a full-scale program following strong customer demand. Through July 31, 2026, CPS Energy weatherized 25 apartment complexes representing 3,738 units and reduced energy use by approximately 5 million kilowatt-hours. Demand for the program remains strong, with 8,800 units currently in line to receive weatherization improvements.

CPS Energy has also made enhancements to its Casa Verde program. Changes include giving customers more choice in the work performed and the trade ally they select, streamlining enrollment and reduction in wait times, and providing funding for certain minor home repairs through the Weatherization Repair Assistance Program (WRAP). More than 2,000 homes have been weatherized since the program transitioned in October 2025.

Expanding Ways to Participate

As STEP continues to grow, customers have more opportunities to take part in new programs that support the adoption of renewable energy and reduce our community’s demand for energy during peak times.

Through the expansion of CPS Energy’s Community Solar Program, Big Sun Community Solar will provide up to 50 MW of local solar generation to the community. The program gives customers another way to participate in solar without installing panels on their own roof.

For EV drivers, CPS Energy has partnered with WeaveGrid to introduce new electric vehicle charging programs. The programs encourage customers to charge during off-peak hours through incentives while still allowing drivers to maintain control over when they charge their vehicles.

STEP is also looking for the next great idea. The STEP Innovation Hub  provides community innovators an opportunity to submit new approaches to energy efficiency and conservation for CPS Energy to evaluate, test, and potentially incorporate into the program.

Current STEP Progress

Since the current Sustainable Tomorrow Energy Plan began in 2022, customer participation across our community has helped move STEP closer to its five-year goals. Through July 31, 2026, that progress includes:

• Reduced energy demand by 337 MW – the equivalent to powering 84,000 homes!
• 1.5 million tons of carbon emissions avoided – helping create a cleaner, more sustainable community.
• $268 million invested in energy-saving programs for our community.
• Generated $1.15 billion in lifetime avoided costs by reducing future expenses for fuel and additional power generation through STEP energy savings and demand reductions.

Learn more about STEP programs and find opportunities for your home or business at [cpsenergy.com/STEP](file:///C:/Users/mavargas/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Olk/Attachments/ooa-766014e1-a5a7-4ac0-b109-1c0866151759/137298fda13948292b9f6dc7dc559931001069bf797844bb6dcc277fdd46fde0/cpsenergy.com/STEP).

A deliberate shift from reactive maintenance to a reliability-centered operating culture cut the 500-MW combined cycle plant’s forced outage rate by 90%—and delivered perfect availability through Texas’s most demanding months.

On Aug. 29, 2025, CPS Energy’s system hit a peak demand of 5,674 MW—the kind of summer stress test that Texas grid operators plan around all year. For the Arthur von Rosenberg (AvR) Power Plant, a 500-MW gas-fired combined cycle facility in Elmendorf, Texas, the day was unremarkable in the best possible way. The plant was available, as it was through every critical month of 2025—every winter cold snap, every summer scorcher, every dispatch call from the grid. AvR finished the year with 100% starting reliability and a 100% Equivalent Availability Factor (EAF) across the seven months CPS Energy designates as most critical to grid reliability.

Two years earlier, that outcome would have seemed out of reach. The plant was posting an Equivalent Forced Outage Rate (EFOR) of 5.8% and averaging 18 forced outages a year—a level of unplanned downtime that, according to the utility’s account, meant even small equipment issues could cascade into lost generation, operational stress, and eroded market competitiveness. The turnaround that followed is why the plant is being recognized as a POWER Top Plant finalist. Not because CPS Energy built something new, but because it fundamentally changed how it ran something it already had. In a market where new dispatchable capacity is expensive and slow to procure, AvR’s transformation is a case study in extracting more reliable megawatts from existing equipment—through data, discipline, and culture rather than capital-intensive additions.

June 25, 2026 Electric vehicles are becoming more common across San Antonio, and CPS Energy is partnering with WeaveGrid on a new program designed to help customers save money while supporting grid reliability.

Through the EV Smart Rewards Program, eligible customers can earn bill credits for charging their electric vehicles during times that reduce strain on the electric grid.

 CPS Energy customers can earn a $30 upfront credit and up to $120 in annual bill credits by charging their EVs during off-peak hours, helping strengthen grid reliability for the San Antonio community.

Smarter Charging for EV Drivers
The program offers two participation options, giving drivers the flexibility to choose what best fits their lifestyle and charging setup. Both options include access to a personalized dashboard with insights into home charging costs and usage.

EV Smart Rewards provides an automated charging experience designed to help drivers maximize savings. Participants set their preferred departure time and battery level, and WeaveGrid schedules charging to optimize for off-peak hours and grid conditions. Drivers can override the schedule at any time if immediate charging is needed.

• $30 enrollment bill credit per enrolled device
• $10/month bill credit

EV Off-Peak Rewards allows participants to manage their own charging during off-peak hours (10PM – 4PM CST) and earn bill credits.

• $30 enrollment bill credit per enrolled device
• $5/month bill credit

The program supports up to two devices per household and is available to drivers with an eligible vehicle or charger, with more eligible devices coming soon.

• Eligible vehicles: Tesla, Jeep, Toyota, and Lexus electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid.

• Eligible chargers: ChargePoint®, Emporia®, and Wallbox® home charging station.

How to Join EV Smart Rewards

Enrolling is easy and takes just a few minutes:

1. Visit the program enrollment page: CPSEnergy.com/EV

2. Create a WeaveGrid account and connect an eligible vehicle or home charging station.

3. Select a participation option: EV Smart Rewards or  EV Off-Peak Rewards.

Once enrolled, monthly bill credits appear automatically on the driver’s CPS Energy account. Enrollment is first-come, first-served, and space is limited, so sign up today!