Under the searing desert sun, Max Wilson watched water flow through a canal in north Phoenix. This unassuming strip of blue next to a busy road is the city's lifeline to the Colorado River. Soon, there will be less water in it. Wilson, who is the water resources management advisor for the City of Phoenix, has to make sure cuts to this canal's supply don't cause taps to go dry for more than 1.7 million people who depend on his system.

The Surprise City Council unanimously approved new setback rules for battery energy storage systems Tuesday night, opting for a flexible approach that city leaders say balances safety concerns with growing energy needs.

Friday is another First Alert Weather Day because of the extreme heat. With highs hitting 117 this week in Phoenix, your AC has been working overtime. Unfortunately, that means more expensive bills, but you may qualify to get help through a new state program called Power AZ.

A report grading Arizona’s infrastructure gave poor marks to the state’s water systems. An annual “report card” from the American Society of Civil Engineers looked at the state’s dams, wastewater systems, drinking water systems, stormwater systems and levees. None of those categories scored higher than a “C” grade. The report says anything with that grade is “mediocre” and “requires attention.”

Phoenix metro residents who make their electric or water bill payments out to the Salt River Project — widely recognized as SRP — are also funding a PAC working to elect a strange (mostly Republican) coterie of candidates.

The structures will provide relief for pedestrians near Chase Field, Mortgage Matchup Center and the Phoenix Convention Center

Both APS and SRP report breaking demand records this summer — delivering more energy than they ever had before during the peak of the Valley’s summer heat. And higher temperatures and more demand for electricity mean higher energy bills for utility customers. A new report finds many households across the country cannot afford those bills — including in Arizona.

Arizona knows heat. But in recent years, even long-time residents have felt the difference between a hot summer day and the kind of extreme heat that stretches household budgets, tests local infrastructure and makes reliable electricity a matter of public safety. That is why Arizona utilities are increasingly using flexible technologies like battery energy storage to support rate affordability and to strengthen the electric grid as extreme weather events become more frequent.