Tucson Electric Power Co. (TEP) is an electric utility company headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, and was founded in 1892. It operates as a subsidiary of Fortis Inc., through its parent company UNS Energy Corporation, which Fortis acquired in 2013. TEP employs approximately 1,401 individuals and provides electric service to over 457,000 customers across the Tucson metropolitan area and southern Arizona.
TEP's core operations involve the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power to residential, business, and other customers. The company also offers online account management tools, outage reporting, and payment services. TEP is actively expanding its portfolio of renewable energy resources, including wind, solar, and energy storage systems, as part of its commitment to sustainable energy. Additionally, it operates the TEP Marketplace, an online store offering energy-saving products such as smart thermostats and LED lighting to its customers.
In terms of patent litigation, Tucson Electric Power Co. is characterized as an operating company that defends against infringement claims. The company has been named as a defendant in one tracked case and has not initiated any patent suits as a plaintiff.
The sole tracked case involving Tucson Electric Power Co. is Midwest Energy Emissions Corp. et al. v. Tucson Electric Power Co. et al., filed on July 30, 2024, in the Arizona District Court. This lawsuit is part of broader litigation initiated by Midwest Energy Emissions Corp. against multiple coal-fired power utilities, alleging infringement of patents related to mercury emissions reduction technologies, specifically "SEA® (Sorbent Enhancement Additive) Technologies." These related cases have been centralized for pretrial proceedings in the Southern District of Iowa.