By Howard Fischer | Capitol Media Services via Arizona Capitol Times
Ignoring last-minute requests for a veto, Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation Friday to protect utilities from having to generate more of the power sold to their Arizona customers from renewable sources.
The move comes despite a letter from various groups with environmental interests that Ducey recognize there is a need for the state to require more of utilities here. At this point, the only mandate they face is the one approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission to have 15 percent of power from wind, solar, geothermal and other similar sources by 2025.
“Arizona has a unique natural resource as America’s sunniest state, but we still get less than 6 percent of our energy from solar power,” said the group including the Sierra Club, Progress Arizona Now and Physicians for Social Responsibility.
The initiative being promoted by NextGen America would boost the requirement to 50 percent by 2030. And it would specifically preclude utilities from counting nuclear power as “renewable.”
