When Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest utility company, announced plans a couple of months ago for a massive new natural gas plant capable of adding up to 2,000 megawatts, two of Arizona’s top utility regulators didn’t wait for evidence, public filings or even a docket number. They celebrated. Within hours of APS’s announcement, Vice[...]

Today, the American Lung Association in Arizona released polling that shows Arizona voters remain seriously concerned about air pollution (83%) and climate change (78%). A majority of voters (78%) believe Arizona should implement more clean energy policies to improve air quality and meet increased energy demand. “Arizona has some of the worst air quality in[...]

When family and friends gather over the holiday season, energy efficiency isn’t typically a hot topic. Perhaps this year it should be. With conversations likely to include affordability, notably the increased cost of groceries, gas and everyday products, energy efficiency provides more than talk. Energy efficiency programs via utility offerings, such as smart thermostats and[...]

Arizona regulators scaled back a program operated by the state’s largest utility designed to encourage energy efficiency, arguing they were trimming ineffective initiatives and eliminating unnecessary expenses. On Wednesday, the all-Republican Arizona Corporation Commission voted unanimously to update Arizona Public Service programs that encourage customers to adopt energy-saving products and behaviors.

The Arizona Corporation Commission is continuing its deregulation tour, this time repealing rules on energy efficiency standards for gas utilities.  During a Wednesday open meeting, commissioners voted unanimously to repeal a set of 2010 rules that aimed to achieve an annual energy savings of 6% of each affected utility’s total retail sales by the end[...]

Low-income Arizonans are already dealing with financial stress stemming from the ongoing government shutdown and other federal cuts. Now, they’re also dealing with price hikes on their utility bills. At a recent town hall in Sun City about this issue, Attorney General Kris Mayes said that electricity prices in Arizona have risen faster in the past two[...]

Arizona regulators want to eliminate mandates and financial incentives for power companies that are intended to save money for all consumers and promote renewables. Public meetings about Arizona’s energy efficiency (EE) standards and solar “REST” rules are scheduled for November and December as the Arizona Corporation Commission considers scrapping the mandates.

Google recently courted the township of Franklin, Ind., so that it could construct a giant campus to house the computer hardware that powers its internet business. But the company needed to rezone more than 450 acres in the Indianapolis suburb, and residents weren’t having it. Many were concerned the facility would consume huge amounts of water and[...]

With Arizona’s abundance of sunshine, advocates for solar energy are worried that the Environmental Protection Agency’s plan to cut the $7 billion Solar for All program is sending the state and country backwards, right when energy demands are as high as the summer temperatures. State Rep. Sarah Liguori, D-Phoenix, along with advocates for the solar[...]

Arizona families who relied on summer utility shutoff protections are racing against time as the moratorium expires Wednesday, leaving many vulnerable to power disconnections amid mounting bills. The Arizona Corporation Commission banned most of the state’s power companies from disconnecting service during summer months, ensuring no one would be left without air conditioning during extreme[...]