By Ryan Randazzo | The Arizona Republic
Last year’s vote by Salt River Project to raise solar customers’ rates has motivated clean-energy advocates to run for the board of the public power and water utility, hoping to unseat some of the long-serving officials.
Four challengers are running for governance positions at SRP as part of a solar team, in addition to other challengers running for a variety of positions.
The challengers face an uphill battle in the April 5 contest, when representation of the utility’s odd-numbered districts will be decided. SRP elections are notoriously difficult for newcomers to win because voters must own land within SRP’s central Arizona coverage area, most votes are weighted by acreage, and turnout in the elections historically is low. About 3,200, or less than half a percent, of the 682,000 eligible voters, is the record.
