By Ryan Randazzo | The Republic
Arizona Public Service Co.’s parent company has put more than $5 million into political-action committees to influence how Arizonans vote on Nov. 6, focusing in particular on a clean-energy ballot measure the company hopes to defeat.
Pinnacle West Capital Corp. is leading a multi-front battle against the measure. The company’s efforts include challenging the signature-gathering tactics by the clean-energy group, which needs about 226,000 valid signatures to make the ballot.
APS also is putting noteworthy effort into badmouthing the ballot-measure’s proponent, billionaire activist Tom Steyer of California.
“AZ Chambers of Commerce R going on record against the so-called clean energy ballot initiative, because it is $$$$ costly 4 AZ families, & does nothing 4 cleaner air. #NoSteyerTaxScam,” APS External Communications Director Hal Pittman tweeted May 14.
The ballot initiative would require APS and other regulated utilities to get 50 percent of their power from renewables by 2030. The current state standard enforced by the Arizona Corporation Commission is 15 percent by 2025, and APS is ahead of the current benchmark of 7 percent.
