By Patrick O’Grady | Phoenix Business Journal
The Arizona Corporation Commission is weighing in on a fight between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and utilities operating four coal-fired power plants in Arizona.
The commission voted Tuesday to file an amicus brief in support of a group of entities that includes state power providers such as Arizona Public Service Co., Salt River Project and Tucson Electric Power, that have issues with proposed EPA requirements for plants.
“The EPA is not balancing environmental stewardship with the economic realities faced by Arizonans. Instead, by blithely disregarding the input of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and Arizona stakeholders, the EPA is on a path to damaging severely Arizona’s economy,” said Commission Chairman Bob Stump. “The commission will not stand by idly as the federal government puts our state’s economy at risk.”
Stump said this is the first time that anyone at the commission remembers the ACC weighing in on an issue between the EPA and stakeholders.
The commission took two votes. One was for the brief to be filed against the EPA’s rule that would affect the Apache, Cholla and Coronado generating stations. Cholla is operated by APS, Apache is operated by the Arizona Electric Power Cooperative Inc., and Coronado is operated by SRP.
The second vote was to file comments with the EPA regarding the Navajo Generating Station, also operated by SRP.
Also: McCain, Flake ask White House to delay EPA requirements for Navajo Generating Station
