Members of the Arizona House last week voted down a bill that would shield the state’s utilities from liability if their equipment causes a wildfire.
The measure is getting a second chance.
The measure would strip homeowners and insurance companies of much of their current ability to recover damages from a utility found responsible for starting a wildfire.
Lawmakers who voted it down last week criticized the fact that it barred fire victims from filing class-action lawsuits, and would have prevented businesses and homeowners from recovering extra compensation, like lost wages.
Utilities like Arizona Public Service back the measure. As it stands, the bill would require power companies to identify and manage wildfire risk and consult with fire officials.
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Arizona Public Service’s proposed rate hike faced criticism this week, as the state utility regulator held a public hearing. Residents told the Arizona Corporation Commission that the proposed rates are not affordable. -
Multiple water line breaks continue to plague parts of the South Rim at Grand Canyon National Park. -
Federal land managers are reopening their environmental review of a massive transmission line proposed across Nevada, a move conservation groups say could reshape how energy infrastructure is approved on public lands across the West. -
As metro Phoenix continues to sprawl, there’s a push and pull between the people and the wildlife that call this place home. It means resources — including habitats — are limited. But there are efforts to ensure wildlife have what they need to survive. -
For the last several years, there’s been an effort to give cities back some of their ability to regulate that market; the state generally took it away in 2016.
