On May 26th, the Arizona Corporation Commission reconsidered and passed a Clean Energy Rules package similar to a measure that was rejected by the Commissioners in early May. In a 3-2 vote, Democratic Commissioners Sandra Kennedy and Anna Tovar were joined by Republican Jim O’Conner in supporting the package.
The energy rules package includes 100% carbon-free energy in Arizona by 2070. And unlike the rules package that failed in early May, the carbon reductions are requirements and not goals.
Revised carbon emissions reductions levels by the following:
• 50% by December 31, 2032
• 65% by December 31, 2040
• 80% by December 31, 2050
• 95% by December 31, 2060
• 100% by December 31, 2070
Most importantly, the passed rules retained all the beneficial policies and requirements around storage and distributed storage that AriSEIA advocated for. Specifically, the rules include a 35% energy efficiency requirement, which is the nation’s first distributed storage/solar requirement, preferential treatment for energy procurement from coal-impacted communities and tribes, as well as a complete rewrite of the IRP rules that will require the Commission to approve, rather than acknowledge a preferred portfolio of resources.
The passage of the Energy Rules reflects a significant win for ratepayers, for the people of Arizona and for the Solar Energy Industry.