AZ HB 2679: Utility Securitization | JUST TRANSITION NAVAJO
Tó Nizhóní Ání joined a host of local community advocates, community groups, and organizations to provide public comments on AZ House Bill 2679: Utility Securitization at the Arizona Legislature. AZ House Bill 2679 (HB2679) is supported by Arizona Public Service (APS), which wants to take advantage of a financial tool called securitization to setup permanent […]
Utility financing bill is unconstitutional, foes say, and could protect dirty power plants
A bill in final stages of consideration in the Arizona Legislature that would allow utilities more flexibility in financing — but make ratepayers liable for bad investments — has been called “unconstitutional,” “polluting,” “overly broad,” and “the largest change to utility financing ever contemplated in the state of Arizona.”
Electric vehicles: Jobs, savings, and federal tax credits in the Southwest
In late February 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted an outline for the federal budget, aiming to extend $4.5 trillion worth of tax cuts while cutting at least $1.5 trillion in federal spending over the next 10 years. Where is all of that money going to come from? Your guess is as good as […]
Electric utilities falling behind on emission reduction targets
Many of the nation’s largest electric utilities are not on track to achieve their interim emission reduction goals or the “net-zero” targets they have communicated to customers and investors, according to industry data reviewed and analyzed by the Energy and Policy Institute. Progress is stalling at a critical juncture, as the Trump administration has targeted Clean Air […]
Southwest Gas wants to hike your bill to make its leaders richer | Opinion
After two years of back-to-back rate increases, Southwest Gas is requesting yet another. This comes on the tail of Southwest Gas celebrating the largest revenue increase in the company’s history in 2023. Despite these record-breaking profits, the company is requesting a $125.6 million increase in revenues through an 11.8% rate increase for customers. This proposal […]
New ethics claims against Arizona utility regulator Kevin Thompson highlight conflicts in disclosure
Arizona Corporation Commission Chair Kevin Thompson is facing new claims of conflicts of interest from the utility watchdog group Energy and Policy Institute related to his ongoing work as a business consultant. Thompson denies any wrongdoing, and the commission’s ethics council has cleared him of conflicts. The pro-clean energy group did not file a formal […]
Bill would block wind energy projects across 90% of Arizona, set strictest limits in U.S.
A bill making its way through the Arizona Legislature would restrict new wind farm projects to sites at least 12 miles from any property zoned for residential use, leaving almost no land available for wind energy in the state. If passed, it would become the most restrictive law limiting wind power development in the United […]
Utility-authored securitization bill is horrible deal for ratepayers and state
Despite record-breaking profits, Arizona’s monopoly utilities — led by APS — are pushing to offload even more costs onto ratepayers with less oversight through a sweeping new bill, HB2679. If passed, HB2679 would allow utilities to use a financial tool known as “securitization” that trades high-interest loans for low-interest bonds that can be paid off […]
Attorney General Federal Funding Cuts Community Impact Hearing
Recent federal budget cuts have resulted in the abrupt firing of key officials at the Department of Energy’s Office of Grants and Efficiency (DOGE), jeopardizing critical funding streams for state and local clean energy initiatives. These cuts put vital programs at risk—programs that help communities save energy, expand access to renewables, and prepare for climate […]
‘We have real lives at stake’: Trump impedes Arizona tribe’s energy lifeline
Timothy L. Nuvangyaoma, chair of the Hopi Tribe in Arizona, saw the unprecedented gusher of federal clean energy money as a potential lifeline for his community still reeling after the closure of a job-creating coal plant in 2019. After applying for and receiving some $90 million in federal funding for solar power projects, battery installations […]
