by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 14, 2025 | News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A Republican lawmaker is taking steps to help Arizona’s power supply during the hot summer months.
This week, Arizona State Senator Frank Carroll announced that SB 1309, which he had sponsored, had been approved by the Committee on Natural Resources, Energy & Water. This bill would “ensure Arizonans have a reliable power supply during the scorching summer months in the desert and the freezing winter months in the high country.”
The bill would require “the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) to ensure that any changes made to an electric power grid are capable of producing enough electricity to meet the demand for power in the summer and winter months,” and “a power generation resource mix that avoids both blackouts and brownouts unrelated to severe weather conditions or power quality incidents.”
In a statement that accompanied the announcement, Carroll said, “Because radical Democrats have adopted an extremist environmental agenda, Americans are suffering the consequences during preventable power outages that are endangering lives in the middle of heat waves and dramatic cold spells. Could you imagine if residents in Metro Phoenix experienced a long-lasting power outage when temperatures surge past 110 degrees for days on end?”
Senator Carroll added, “I sponsored SB 1309 to prevent the chaos associated with blackouts, as we’ve seen in states like California, when dangerous green agendas are adopted. We all want a cleaner environment, but not at the potential cost of human life. This commonsense measure will ensure Arizonans’ air conditioners, heaters, lights, and other basic necessities have the power to operate when we need them to.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak System, a representative from the Arizona Free Enterprise Club endorsed the proposal; while representatives from the Climate Cabinet Action, Advanced Energy Economy, Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association, and CHISPA ARIZONA – A Program of League of Conservation Voters, signed into oppose the legislation.
SB 1309 will soon be considered by the full chamber of the Arizona Senate.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Feb 8, 2025 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
President Trump’s historic victory in the November election gave him a clear mandate from the American people. And so far, he hasn’t wasted any time getting to work. In his first month back in office, Trump signed 45 Executive Orders (EO) in an effort to put America first and undo much of the damage created by the Biden administration. And that’s especially true with his executive actions to unleash American energy.
Ending the Net Zero Climate Cult Fantasy
For four years under President Biden, the American people were forced to endure an administration that was hellbent on pursuing a net zero agenda. Across the country, they pushed these radical and costly climate action plans to fundamentally transform and restrict the energy options available to consumers. Along with this came calls from the Left to ban gas stoves, gas cars, gas-powered lawn equipment, and hundreds of other draconian ideas to limit the freedom of the American people.
If the high cost of these plans wasn’t enough, they have also proven to be unreliable. States and countries that have committed to energy sources like solar and wind as part of this net zero fantasy have experienced rolling blackouts, continually demand that their customers use less, and eventually have to make haste to open reliable sources of generation they had closed down. Isn’t that right, California?
But Trump’s Executive Order 14154 unleashes fossil fuel production and use in America while unwinding much of the damage caused by the Biden administration…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by AZ Free Enterprise Club | Dec 11, 2024 | Opinion
By the Arizona Free Enterprise Club |
Another election has come and gone, and unsurprisingly, Arizona is yet again the butt of national jokes for taking weeks to process ballots and tabulate votes. While some in the corporate media still attempt to defend our vote counting circus, most everyone is in agreement that big changes are needed. It doesn’t take being an election expert to recognize that states with far greater populations, who also experience large rates of early voting, somehow get their votes counted on election night or near to it.
It’s a fix that is long overdue, yet for over five years the reform has continued to run into a political meatgrinder at the state Capitol. Since 2019, our organization, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, has supported, championed, and authored bills to ensure we get results on election night. And while Democrats in the legislature have been an obstacle to reform (they have universally opposed any reforms geared toward getting faster results), they have not been the only impediment to fixing the problem.
The real culprit is opposition from county “election officials,” or more precisely, their taxpayer-funded lobbyists. For years, our so-called election experts have worked overtime to stop any reasonable reforms to Arizona’s mail-in voting system. Their tactics are incredibly disingenuous. When people express their frustration about the glacier pace of vote counting, they clap back (usually with dripping condescension) that their hands are tied by existing law. But when lawmakers introduce bills to change those laws, those same election officials send their army of lobbyists down to the Capitol to fight reform at every turn…
>>> CONTINUE READING >>>
by Staff Reporter | Dec 11, 2024 | News
By Staff Reporter |
Maricopa County Republicans no longer wish to challenge the voter-approved transportation sales tax.
The Maricopa County Republican Committee (MCRC) filed a motion to dismiss their lawsuit against Proposition 479 on Sunday.
The attorney for MCRC’s lawsuit, Bryan Blehm, filed the motion to dismiss on behalf of plaintiffs Craig Berland (chairman) and Shelby Busch (first vice-chairman).
Proposition 479 was styled as a continuation of a half-cent sales tax first established in 1985 and last renewed in 2004. The tax revenue funds Maricopa County infrastructure and will last until 2045.
Just short of 60 percent of voters passed Proposition 479. Polling months ahead of the election indicated this to be the case. The proposition came out of a Senate bill advanced by Republican leadership in both legislative chambers, SB 1102, which Senate President Warren Petersen hailed as “the most conservative transportation plan” in Arizona history.
Not all Republican leaders agreed. Arizona Freedom Caucus members expressed opposition to the Senate bill, as did the “conservative watchdog groups” they referenced.
“[This proposition is] a massive win for Hobbs and the Democrats,” said caucus member State Representative Justin Heap.
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club and Goldwater Institute also opposed Prop 479. The two entities claimed in remarks of opposition submitted to the county that the proposition would mostly fund transit.
Per the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG), 40 percent of the sales tax revenues is slated for the construction of freeways and highways, 22 percent for arterial roads and regional transportation infrastructure, and 37 percent for transit.
Democratic leadership at all levels stood in support of the proposition’s passage and opposition to the MCRC lawsuit, from Governor Katie Hobbs to Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
MAG Regional Council also joined the county to argue for dismissal of the lawsuit. Kevin Hartke, MAG chairman and Chandler mayor, said in a statement to InMaricopa that the lawsuit went against the majority of voters and their desire for transportation funding.
“We won’t let a flawed claim stand in the way of our 40-year legacy of building one of the best transportation systems in the country,” said Hartke. “The transportation plan unanimously approved by the region’s elected leadership, sent to the ballot by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors and overwhelmingly approved by the voters of Maricopa County, is critical to the quality of life of our residents and the continued strength of our local economy.”
MAG predicts the tax will generate up to $15 billion in revenue (using 2020 dollars) and slash commute length to an average of 30 minutes through 2050, even with an estimated influx of 1.7 million residents and 900,000 jobs.
MAG Executive Director Ed Zuercher indicated that county officials weren’t going to cease moving forward with their transportation plan, even if the lawsuit had progressed.
“The regional transportation plan that was unanimously approved by MAG’s mayors, tribal and county leaders, and supported by business leaders and the voters, will be implemented on schedule,” said Zuercher.
In reporting from last week, Arizona’s general contractors also sided with the efforts to protect the sales tax. The Arizona Chapter of Associated General Contractors of America had criticized MCRC’s lawsuit as “frivolous” and based on political contentions advanced by “disgruntled partisans.”
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Matthew Holloway | Dec 7, 2024 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club released a statement on Wednesday severely criticizing the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). The statement came after the ACC, which is charged with protecting Arizonans from a non-competitive energy industry, voted to abdicate its duty by allowing formulaic rates that increase automatically year over year, as opposed to every increase being subject to public scrutiny and requiring approval.
The vote on Tuesday was carried 3-2 with commissioners Anna Tovar and Lea Márquez Peterson dissenting. According to the ACC, its policy statement “allows regulated utilities to propose formula rates in future rate cases. Under this approach, the ACC reviews and accepts as the rate a formula for calculating the utility’s cost of service, including clear definitions of inputs to that formula and a process for updating rates every year as the utility’s costs change.”
The commission claimed, “Formula rates will still be monitored closely to ensure that the utility does not over-earn relative to the cost of service for providing service (plus a reasonable return on invested capital), while continuing to provide service safely and reliably.”
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club responded in a statement saying:
“Following contentious double digit rate hikes being approved and ESG Resource Plans committed to going ‘Net Zero’ by 2050 being rubber stamped, the Commission has rushed through approving new rules masquerading as a mere ‘policy statement’ that could insulate utilities and the Commission from having to face ratepayers in future rate cases. The ‘policy statement’ would depart from traditional rate making and pursue ‘formula based rates’ offloading risk from investors to ratepayers and baking in automatic rate increases with little transparency or opportunity for ratepayer engagement.
“The only support for this ‘policy statement’ came from the utilities themselves. The Commission is charged to protect ratepayers by regulating the utilities, not the other way around. The Commission should pump the brakes, not rush through major rulemaking decisions in a lame duck session.
“The Arizona Free Enterprise Club is committed to protecting ratepayers, ensuring affordable and reliable energy in Arizona. We will continue to work to ensure utilities will not be able to force their captive ratepayers to foot the bill, especially through automatic rate hikes, for their costly goal to go ‘Net Zero’ by 2050 by shuttering reliable sources of energy generation to build out expensive and unreliable wind, solar, and battery storage projects.”
Attorney Dan Pozesfsky of Arizona’s Residential Utility Consumer Office (RUCO), expressed a similar view according to 12News saying, “Trying to implement formula rates through a policy statement rather than through rules is inappropriate, illegal and in this case denies due process.”
The outlet reported that the ACC, ignoring its own plans for the vote, rushed to schedule it noting that in a previous meeting Commission Chairman Jim O’Connor had told stakeholders, “Give us feedback. Bring us guardrails.” He added, “I eagerly look forward to that kind of input at our next workshop.” However, no workshop occurred and no published legal opinions were issued.
Diane Brown of the nonprofit Arizona PIRG Education Fund stressed that the vote was conducted with critical questions about the scheme remaining unanswered. She said, “This is precisely to me why it was so important to have the legal memo that this Commission said they would get. While there are statements that there will be increased transparency, I’m not seeing evidence of that. It is troubling to me that we haven’t heard from the ALJ (administrative law judge). We have not heard from Staff.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
