Arizona environmental groups hope for bipartisan action on utility regulation

Environmental groups are sounding the alarm on various issues going into this year’s legislative session, and holding out hope for one area of potential bipartisanship.

Every year, a coalition of state organizations sign on to a list of environmental priorities they hope the state Legislature will address.

Those requests don’t typically go far at the Republican-controlled Legislature.

The coalition is made up of the Sierra Club’s Arizona division, Mi Familia Vota, Rural Arizona Action, Poder Latinx, the Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and more.

This year, data centers are a central issue for the coalition.

Data centers

“Who will bear the burden of paying for that, you know? Will the ratepayers have to bear the cost though higher utility bills in order to bring in the infrastructure? And what kinds of energy is going to be powering these data centers,” Sen. Priya Sundareshan (D-Tucson) asked at a press conference held Wednesday at the state Capitol, at which the groups outlined their top priorities.

Environmental protection advocates also questioned the tax policy around data centers — which have been granted tax breaks worth millions of dollars.

Sundareshan said Democrats will introduce new legislation this year on energy use, data centers and the impact on Arizona’s water supply.

Utilities and the Corporation Commission

Justin Stabley

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KJZZ

Environmental groups advocating for utility regulation hope they may get some bipartisan support this year.

The Arizona Corporation Commission has approved multiple significant rate increases over the last two years, and the state’s largest electricity utility, Arizona Public Service, has recently walked back its clean-energy goals.

Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter lobbyist Sandy Bahr said utilities have enormous power in politics and need to be reined in.

“As you see the utilities, really significant influence at the Corporation Commission, where apparently they don't understand that they’re actually supposed to regulate utilities,” Bahr said.

In the name of blocking “corporate handouts,” Bahr said some Republicans have expressed an interest in cracking down on utilities this year.

Sundareshan also said she’ll reintroduce legislation to prohibit utilities from using ratepayer money for lobbying, campaign contributions and similar expenses.

Rep. Oscar De Los Santos (D-Laveen) noted that Arizona is among the states with the highest electricity bills in the country already.

Demands unchanged

The rest of the environmental coalition’s legislative demands are essentially the same as recent years.

For years, the group has advocated for more water protections — and groundwater restrictions in particular.

“Climate change is affecting our daily lives in Arizona and is contributing to a host of issues, including prolonged drought, decreased water availability, increased pollution, and unhealthy air,” the group wrote.

Casey Kuhn

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KJZZ

They ask that the Legislature not prioritize fossil fuels over clean energy and allow state agencies to regulate their greenhouse gas emissions if they want to — without asking for permission from lawmakers, as the law currently requires.

Water is, as always, a huge part of Arizona’s climate conversation.

The environmental priorities advocate for conservation over augmentation, using less water-intensive agricultural practices, protecting ephemeral waters and restricting groundwater pumping in key areas.

The group also calls for the legislature to address “environmental injustice and racism,” meaning that people should be treated equally with respect to the development of environmental policies because certain communities are more affected by environmental laws and practices than others.

For example, in Arizona, Native Americans have a disproportionate lack of clean drinking water.

“We ask the Arizona Legislature and Governor to take action to target investments in underserved communities that bear a disproportionate burden from climate change and pollution,” the group wrote.