By Rachel Leingang | Arizona Republic
A group funded by the state’s largest utility is suing to keep a clean energy initiative off the ballot.
Arizonans for Affordable Electricity, a political action committee whose funding comes from Arizona Public Service Co. parent company Pinnacle West Capital Corp., claim proponents of the clean energy plan did not gather enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona, backed by San Francisco billionaire Tom Steyer, turned in more than 480,000 signatures in early July, more than double the required 225,963 signatures needed to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot.
The ballot measure seeks to require utilities to get 50 percent of their power from renewable sources like solar and wind by 2030, a dramatic increase from current state goals.
