Arizona’s largest utilities commit to increase use of clean energy
Arizona’s largest electric utilities, including Arizona Public Service Company, Tucson Electric Power, and Salt River Project, have all committed to generating more power from clean energy resources and moving away from fossil fuels.
In January 2020, Arizona Public Service Company (APS) announced plans to shut down all coal generation by 2031 and generate 100 percent of its electricity from zero-carbon emission resources like wind and solar by 2050.
In June 2020, Tucson Electric Power (TEP) said it would retire the coal-fired Springerville Generating Station in 2032. In addition, TEP announced it will provide more than 70 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2035 – a shift that will result in a net decrease of 70 percent of 2020 water usage and 80 percent carbon dioxide emissions.
In June 2019, the Salt River Project (SRP) announced that it would be shutting down the coal-fired Hayden plant in 2027. It also said it would be shutting down Craig Unit 1 in 2025, Unit 2 in 2028, Four Corners Power Plant in 2031, and Coronado no later than 2032. SRP’s current plan will reduce carbon by 65 percent from 2005 levels in 2035 and 90 percent by 2050.
Until recently, clean energy technologies were too cost-prohibitive and unreliable to add in large amounts to the grid, according to the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). However, with new technologies and advancements in clean energy, investing in clean energy resources represents a better business decision.
ACC Chair Lea Márquez Peterson noted that the shifts to clean energy by these three utilities are all voluntary. However, Márquez Peterson has long advocated for the pursuit of clean energy as a goal, proposing a 100 percent zero-carbon energy goal for the state.
“Achieving 100 percent zero carbon emissions while protecting Arizona’s ratepayers and ensuring that the grid remains safe and reliable is the Arizona way for achieving a cleaner energy economy,” Márquez Peterson said. “The voluntary commitments of our Arizona utilities represent a monumental shift and a completely independent position for our state, free of any special interests. I look forward to seeing the utilities move forward with their voluntary commitments and to holding the utilities accountable through our long-term planning and competitive bidding process to ensure that the steps we take to get there are safe and reliable for the grid, and cost-effective for Arizona’s families and small businesses.”
