Protesters gathered outside of Arizona Public Service’s Phoenix headquarters Thursday to criticize the state’s largest utility for backing off clean energy goals it set five years ago.
Last month, APS officials announced the utility was getting rid of its commitment to obtain all of its energy from sources that don’t emit carbon emissions by 2050.
Two dozen protesters with the Sierra Club, Arizona Youth Climate Coalition, Chispa Arizona, Mi Familia en Acción and Vote Solar called out APS CEO Ted Geisler by name.
“Shame on APS, shame on APS, shame on APS, shame on APS,” they chanted.
And they laid dozens of sandals in front of the company’s headquarters, symbolizing what they called a “flip flop” by the utility on its clean energy commitments.
“No more flip flops, no more flip flops, no more flip flops,” they yelled.
The clean energy advocates called on APS to adopt more solar and wind energy while phasing out coal and investing less in natural gas.
“We need for APS to, again, stop pandering to the Trump administration,” said Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter. “Stop taking advantage of a weak Arizona Corporation Commission, actually show some morality, and to make a commitment, recommit, to clean energy and to shut down the coal, and stop investing so much in gas.”.
APS officials said they replaced the zero-carbon commitment with a goal to go “carbon neutral” by 2050. Unlike the commitment to eliminate its carbon emissions by using 100% clean energy, a carbon-neutral pledge means a company will attempt to offset its emissions.
An APS spokesman said the company is still committed to using clean energy resources while also focusing on ensuring it is providing cost-effective and reliable energy for its customers.
“Clean-energy resources — such as solar paired with battery-energy storage — that provide a ‘best-fit, least-cost’ solution to serving our customers (as demonstrated through our competitive all-source request for proposal process) will continue to be a key part of how we provide reliable and affordable service to our customers,” spokesman Mike Phillipsen said in an email.
But clean energy advocates said that isn’t good enough.
Shaela Patel with the Arizona Youth Climate Coalition said carbon-neutral goals still allow the utility to use energy sources that produce carbon emissions and contribute to climate change.
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