Arizona regulators reject huge gas plant expansion; ACC made the right move, says Rose Law Group Co-founder Court Rich

(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Sierra Club.)

By Ryan Randazzo | Arizona Republic

Arizona utility regulators on Tuesday rejected a nearly $1 billion natural-gas plant expansion in Coolidge, saying Salt River Project did not consider the impact the project would have on nearby residents.

People living in the historically Black community of Randolph, an unincorporated area adjacent to the Coolidge Generating Station, erupted in cheers at the 4-1 vote denying the project.

Randolph residents complain that the plant and other industrial developments near their homes, including an asphalt plant, have ruined the character of their neighborhood and threaten their health.

Members of the historically Black community gathered outside the Corporation Commission on Tuesday, with some holding signs accusing SRP of “environmental racism.”

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Rose Law Group Renewable Energy Dept. Director, Court Rich, tells RLGR: “SRP proposed spending $1 billion of public funds on a new gas plant without even considering any alternatives. Fortunately, the ACC stepped in and protected the public from what would have been a monumentally expensive and hurried mistake.”