Arizona Corporation Commission heeds call of the businesses to reconsider clean energy rules

The decision from the Arizona Corporation Commission to reconsider and advance a revised set of clean energy rules is “a welcome reversal of the shocking move to block the rules earlier this month, and one that will help put the state back on track to reap the benefits of the clean energy future,” said Alli Gold Roberts, director of state policy at Ceres. 

In a bipartisan vote, Commissioners Sandra Kennedy (D), Anna Tovar (D), and Jim O’Connor (R) voted to advance a comprehensive clean energy package that includes a carbon-free electricity standard with interim requirements, an electric energy efficiency standard, a distributed storage standard, and improvements to the integrated resource planning process to institute competitive, all-source requests for proposals.

The vote reversed a decision from two weeks ago that temporarily killed the overall package and was widely criticized by businesses, consumer advocates, and the environmental community. Businesses in Arizona want to see the state adopt policies that will help grow the clean energy industry and they celebrated today’s decision.

“Siemens, which has a corporate commitment to sustainability, supports the Clean Energy Rules not only because of their environmental benefits, but also for the economic advantages and job creation they will deliver to Arizonans, where Siemens employs more than 100 people in Phoenix and Tempe,” said Dennis Rodriguez, Head of External Affairs for the Western U.S. at Siemens Corporation.

More than two dozen businesses and associations—including Ball Corporation, Google, Johns Manville, Microsoft, Salesforce, and the Arizona Technology Council, among others—have called on the Commission to adopt stronger clean energy standards as a way to build a robust, resilient economy.

“These businesses have made bold commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to clean energy—and they know that to meet these goals they need smart, supportive policies,” added Roberts. “While today’s decision is a step in the right direction, there is room to strengthen the clean energy rules to ensure Arizona is in a position to capture these corporate clean energy investments. We look forward to continuing to work with the Commission to further strengthen the state’s clean energy policies in order to bring much needed cost saving and job benefits to Arizonans.”

A recent Ceres report found that from 2008 to 2018, Arizona’s renewable energy policies delivered significant benefits to Arizona utilities, companies and residents—including $2 billion in benefits to Arizona ratepayers and jobs for nearly 14,000 Arizonans who worked in the renewable energy field in 2019. Energy efficiency efforts have also created billions in net economic benefits, saving Arizonan families and businesses money on their energy bills.

About Ceres

Ceres is a nonprofit organization working with the most influential capital market leaders to solve the world’s greatest sustainability challenges. Through our powerful networks and global collaborations of investors, companies and nonprofits, we drive action and inspire equitable market-based and policy solutions throughout the economy to build a just and sustainable future. For more information, visit ceres.org and follow @CeresNews.