David Wichner
Arizona Daily Star
Two years after killing off ambitious new state clean-energy standards, Arizona utility regulators are looking to repeal the state’s existing renewable-energy and energy-efficiency rules altogether.
The Arizona Corporation Commission on voted to instruct its staff to draft rules that would repeal the state’s Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff, which was adopted in 2006 and requires state-regulated electric utilities including Tucson Electric Power to generate 15% of their energy from renewable resources by 2025.
Along a 4-1 party line vote, the measure approved by the commission’s Republican majority also would move toward repealing energy-efficiency rules adopted in 2010 that require electric and gas utilities to achieve 22% energy savings by 2020.
The ACC vote starts a hearing process expected to last into next year that will include stakeholder and public comment.
Commissioners leading the effort say the renewable-energy and efficiency standards are too costly to ratepayers.
Commissioner Nick Myers said that based on information provided by the regulated utilities, the mandates “imposed by prior Commissions” have cost Arizona customers almost $3 billion through monthly billing surcharges that help pay for solar and wind projects and rebates that drive energy efficiency.
“I believe it is time for the Commission to consider repealing these rules and mandates that appear to unnecessarily drive up costs,” Myers said in a news release.
