Arizona Voters Reject Renewable Energy Proposition

By Anca Gagiuc

Arizona voters have rejected  Proposition 127. The constitutional amendment would have required 50 percent of the electricity provided by Arizona Public Service Electric Co. (APS) to come from renewable sources by 2030, irrespective of the cost to customers.

The proposition exceeds the current mandate imposed by the Arizona Corporation Commission, which requires the state’s 16 regulated electricity providers to get 15 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2025. “We’ve said throughout this campaign there is a better way to create a clean-energy future for Arizona that is also affordable and reliable,” APS Chairman, President & CEO Don Brandt said in a prepared statement.

Desired clean energy criteria

APS, serving about 2.7 million people in 11 of Arizona’s 15 counties, supports a clean energy strategy as long as it continues the state’s solar leadership and invests in battery storage and other clean technologies. The utility provider encourages electric vehicles as a way to reduce emissions and partners with customers to achieve their energy goals.

Futhermore, APS believes the Palo Verde Generating Station is essential for the state, citing that 340,000 new customers will move into the APS service territory by 2030. “As the nation’s largest producer of reliable emission-free energy, Palo Verde is the anchor of Arizona’s clean-energy future,” said Brandt. “Any serious plan to reduce carbon emissions has to include nuclear energy and Palo Verde.”

“Our energy mix is already 50 percent clean, and the addition of battery storage technology on our existing solar facilities together with other initiatives, like increased infrastructure investment to support electric vehicles, will continue to advance our clean-energy vision,” added Brandt.