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 […]
Arizona Utilities Want a Blank Check – At Your Expense
Big Utilities are fast-tracking a dangerous bill (HB2679) that would shift their bad investments onto ratepayers and prolong the use of polluting, water-intensive power plants like coal and gas.
Solar advocates continue to fight fee on utility bills
Solar advocates continue to fight what they call a “discriminatory” fee added to the utility bills of Arizona Public Service customers who have solar panels. The “grid access charge” is a $2-3 monthly fee for customers with an average rooftop solar system. It was instituted last March and, after advocacy groups protested, upheld in a […]
Arizona joins lawsuit to block Trump federal payment freeze
Arizona joined with 22 other states Tuesday to sue President Donald Trump over his sweeping federal grant freeze, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Shortly before the states filed their suit, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., temporarily blocked Trump’s payment pause in response to a separate lawsuit from the National Council of Nonprofits. The […]
New leadership should embrace advancements in clean transportation and clean energy
With new leadership and recently elected officials being sworn in at the federal, state, and local levels, come new opportunities. However, as innovative policies and approaches are discussed, it is important to simultaneously build upon successful, impactful, and popular programs that are already in place or underway.
How Trump’s actions on energy could worsen climate change in Arizona
As Phoenix emerges from its hottest year on record, President Donald Trump will sign a series of orders designed to expand U.S. fossil fuels production and relax climate-related regulations in his first day of office. The orders could worsen the effects of climate change by increasing long-term global emissions and slowing the country’s transition to […]
