Political fight over clean energy initiative begins in Arizona

July 8, 2018 |

In Arizona, Arizona’s largest utility, Arizona Public Service Co., is fighting billionaire philanthropist Tom Steyer’s clean energy initiative through his NextGen Climate Action group, called “Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona,” which 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.

Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona plans to file more than 225,000 signatures to get the question on the November ballot.

“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.”

Arizona’s Republican-controlled Legislature recently passed a rule to help insulate utilities and the parent company of the state’s largest electricity provider bankrolling opposition messaging.

Category: Fuels

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