Renewable energy push in sunny Arizona draws political fight
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona’s largest utility is fiercely opposing a push to mandate increased use of renewable energy in the sun-drenched state, setting up a political fight over a measure funded by a California billionaire.
Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona aims to ask voters whether they want the state Constitution to require half of Arizona’s electricity come from renewable sources like wind and solar by 2030. The group plans to file more than 225,000 signatures Thursday get the question on the November ballot.
Billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer is financing the initiative through his NextGen Climate Action group, which supported similar efforts in Nevada and Michigan. But only the Arizona measure spawned a political battle, with the Republican-controlled Legislature passing a rule to help insulate utilities and the parent company of the state’s largest electricity provider bankrolling opposition messaging.
Steyer, known for climate advocacy as well as his push to impeach President Donald Trump, says he’s backing the proposal because of the benefits it will bring to Arizona.
“It actually will lead to lower costs and save a lot of money for consumers,” Steyer said. “It leads to clean air and a lot better health outcomes for Arizonans, and it should create literally tens of thousands of jobs in the state of Arizona. So it’s hard to understand why these people are fighting it.”
Supporters of the initiative say Arizona hasn’t taken advantage of its role as the sunniest state in the nation to develop more solar energy, saying it derives just 6 percent of its energy from solar.
Arizona Public Service Co. says the proposed constitutional amendment will cause customers’ utility rates to skyrocket and harm reliability.
Its parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., funneled $1.18 million to Arizonans for Affordable Energy to oppose the initiative in the first three months of the year. Multiple chambers of commerce, Tucson Electric Power and Chicanos Por La Causa also oppose it.
“Everyone supports renewable energy,” said Matthew Benson, spokesman for the utility-funded opposition initiative. “The question is whether we are going to have an Arizona plan that is created and implemented by Arizona leaders and officials, or whether we’re going to have a plan crammed down our throats by a political activist from California.”
Campaign finance records show Steyer’s group gave $750,000 in cash and more than $200,000 in goods and services to the renewable energy campaign. Opponents have used the #StopSteyer hashtag in the run-up to Thursday’s deadline for petition signatures.