by Ethan Faverino | Apr 8, 2026 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) will host its annual 2026 Summer Preparedness Workshop on Tuesday, April 14, at 9:00 a.m. in Hearing Room One at the Commission’s Offices. The workshop will also be available virtually.
This annual event serves as a critical exercise in which Arizona’s regulated electric utilities present detailed plans to the Commission outlining their readiness to meet peak electricity demand during the state’s intense summer heat.
The workshop allows the ACC to review utility preparations, verify proactive grid maintenance efforts year-round, and confirm that infrastructure remains safe, reliable, and resilient for customers.
Arizona’s summer temperatures routinely drive record-breaking electricity demand as residents rely heavily on air-conditioning. In recent years, major utilities—including Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP), and Tucson Electric Power (TEP)—have repeatedly set new peak demand records amid scorching heat, with highs often exceeding 115 degrees in the Phoenix area.
In 2025, utilities forecasted and prepared for peaks exceeding 8,400 MW for APS and SRP each, while emphasizing additions of solar, battery storage, and other resources alongside adequate reserves to maintain reliability.
The commission uses the workshop to ensure utilities demonstrate sufficient generating capacity, transmission readiness, maintenance schedules, emergency response protocols, and contingency measures for high-demand periods.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Dec 10, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
The Arizona Corporation Commission recently approved an amendment from Chair Kevin Thompson that he claims cuts more than half of the Arizona Public Service Company’s proposed budget for demand-side management and energy-efficiency programs—removing roughly $51 million in annual surcharges that would have been passed on to ratepayers.
The vote comes as the Commission continues the process of repealing a 2010 energy-efficiency mandate that has driven more than $1 billion in cumulative surcharges on customer bills over the past 15 years. Those surcharges have funded utility-run programs intended to reduce energy consumption and defer the need for new power generation.
APS’ amended 2025 Demand Side Management (DSM) and Energy Efficiency (EE) plan sought $90.9 million—an increase from the $79.4 million approved in 2022. Commissioners unanimously rejected APS’ proposed funding increases for several existing and new programs. Thompson said the cuts were necessary to rein in programs that had expanded far beyond their original purpose.
“I support energy efficiency and demand side management programs that reduce the need for additional generation and lower the costs for all ratepayers,” Thompson said. “But APS’ annual budget for these programs had become a bloated Christmas tree of incentives and rebates for special interests and customers who should be paying for these upgrades on their own.”
According to Thompson, previous Commissions allowed the DSM/EE program to grow beyond its intended goals, resulting in programs that offered rebates for equipment ranging from horticulture fans and livestock ventilation systems to incentives for electric golf carts, off-road utility vehicles, EV charging stations in multifamily buildings, and advanced power strips. The Commission also ended a long-standing practice of providing incentives to home builders and contractors for installing energy-efficient appliances—upgrades already mandated elsewhere in state law.
APS had also proposed new incentives for builders, including a $1,000 rebate per home for installing ENERGY STAR NextGen-certified systems requiring connected heat pumps, water heaters, and smart thermostats. The company had additionally sought to increase its “EV-ready home” incentive from $100 to $200. All of those proposals were rejected.
With Thompson’s amendment, the budget was cut by more than 50%. The approved spending plan now focuses on what commissioners described as core, ratepayer-benefiting programs. Thompson said the revised plan maintains assistance for vulnerable Arizonans while delivering broad relief to all APS customers through lower surcharges.
“We have accomplished a major course correction,” he said, “one that will save APS ratepayers more than $50 million in annual costs while preserving programs that truly help the most vulnerable members of our society.”
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Staff Reporter | Nov 6, 2025 | News
By Staff Reporter |
The newest member of the Tucson City Council is further left than the rest of the council’s Democrats.
That’s because newly elected Tucson Councilwoman Miranda Schubert is a socialist. Schubert’s victory can be credited in part to several powerful national players in progressive politics.
One of those key players is the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). The DSA endorsed Schubert; she is also a member of their Tucson chapter.
The DSA platform is the furthest to the left, policywise, on every issue.
The DSA advocates for:
- making all healthcare, college, and childcare free;
- cancelling all student loan debts;
- decriminalizing all drugs;
- abolishing prisons, mandatory minimum sentencing, and cash bail;
- stripping police departments of military-grade weapons and equipment;
- establishing universal rent control;
- providing free counsel for all tenants;
- expanding subsidized housing;
- mandating paid family leave for all workers;
- reducing the regular workweek to 32 hours;
- establishing more unions in the workforce;
- eliminating fossil fuels;
- transferring ownership of transportation and energy infrastructure to the public;
- raising taxes on wealthier families, corporations, and private colleges and universities;
- mandating a permanent ceasefire in Gaza;
- ending military support and commerce to Israel;
- closing overseas bases and reducing the military budget;
- abolishing borders and immigration enforcement;
- ending economic sanctions on foreign countries;
- restoring voting rights to felons;
- granting voting rights to noncitizens;
- establishing statehood for Washington, D.C.;
- abolishing the electoral college;
- adding more House seats;
- ending the Senate filibuster;
- and limiting the Supreme Court’s powers
Schubert’s local DSA in Tucson aligns with this platform, and also supports progressive causes like allowing gender transitions for minors.
Another key player integral to Schubert’s victory was Run For Something (RFS), a political action committee devoted to recruiting and providing campaign assistance to progressive candidates across all 50 states. A former staffer from Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, Amanda Litman, and a Democratic Party consultant, Ross Morales Rocketto, launched RFS in 2017.
Schubert was one of two 2025 candidates in Arizona to receive support from RFS. They also provided Schubert support for her unsuccessful council run in 2021; that year she was their only endorsed candidate for Arizona.
IRS records show the social welfare nonprofit arm for RFS — formed in 2020 with the same name as its parent organization — reported over $6 million in revenue, over $9 million in expenditures, and nearly $7 million in total assets in the last available reporting (2023).
Another DSA member won a significant seat across the country on Tuesday night: Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor.
Along with the strength of progressive powerhouses DSA and RFS, Schubert had significant support from the corporate sector: specifically, those assisting in transitioning the state to “clean” energy.
Schubert’s partner, Amanda Maass, is senior managing consultant at Illume Advising, a progressive research and advisory firm with headquarters in Tucson and Madison, Wisconsin. Illume assists utilities, states, and governments with the adoption of “clean” and “green” initiatives such as decarbonization and renewable energy.
Both Arizona Public Service (APS) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) have been Illume clients. In recent years, Illume worked with both to craft a DEI-driven plan to electrify transportation across Arizona.
Illume has close ties to local and state leaders, including Tucson Mayor Regina Romero, Pima County Deputy Administrator Steve Holmes, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and Attorney General Kris Mayes. Romero’s communications and policy advisor, Victor Mercado, was Illume’s marketing and business development principal.
Illume founder and co-owner Anne Dougherty is board chair of the LGBTQ+ Alliance Fund of Southern Arizona, and director for the Arizona Technology Council as well as Groundswell Capital.
Prior to running for council, Schubert founded a labor union for Arizona’s public universities and some community colleges, CWA Local 7065 United Campus Workers of Arizona, and a local housing and transit advocacy group, Tucson for Everyone.
Schubert also served on two city commissions, the Complete Streets Coordinating Council and the Board of Adjustment.
AZ Free News is your #1 source for Arizona news and politics. You can send us news tips using this link.
by Jonathan Eberle | Oct 25, 2025 | News
By Jonathan Eberle |
Arizona Public Service (APS) is seeking to raise electricity rates by 14% starting in 2026 — a move the Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AZFEC) argues would unfairly burden Arizona families while subsidizing costly “green energy” initiatives and the early closure of a key coal plant.
According to filings with the Arizona Corporation Commission, APS attributes the proposed rate increase largely to battery storage projects and the early retirement of the Cholla Power Plant. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club filed an official response criticizing APS for attempting to block the organization’s intervention in the case, while allowing environmental groups such as the Sierra Club to participate. “APS has no issue letting radical groups like the Sierra Club into their hearings, but they’re trying to block the one organization fighting for Arizona families,” said AZFEC President Scot Mussi.
Mussi contends APS’s “carbon free” and “carbon neutral” commitments over the past five years have shaped their energy plans — including their Integrated Resource Plans and large-scale renewable energy projects — resulting in higher costs for consumers. “For years, their voluntary commitments have very likely increased costs for Arizona ratepayers,” the organization said in its filing.
Two days after filing its response, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club announced it had been officially granted intervention in the APS case. This designation allows AZFEC to participate directly in proceedings, making it the only organization representing ratepayers who oppose the rate hike.
In the ruling, the Administrative Law Judge overseeing the case described the Club as “the lone proponent” of an energy approach emphasizing reliability, affordability, and independence — priorities the group says align with President Trump’s “American Energy Dominance” agenda.
“While others are lobbying to shut down Arizona’s coal plants and pour billions into unreliable Green New Scam projects, we’re standing up for the ratepayers who will be left to foot the bill,” Mussi said. “We’re proud to be the only organization in this case fighting to keep Arizona’s energy secure, affordable, and free from political interference.”
The Club’s participation ensures that Arizona ratepayers have a voice during the proceedings, according to Mussi and AZFEC Deputy Policy Director Greg Blackie. “This isn’t about politics — it’s about protecting Arizona families and ensuring that our state doesn’t fall victim to the same radical energy policies destroying affordability across the country,” said Blackie. “We intend to shine a light on the real costs, the real numbers, and the real consequences of this so-called green transition.”
The case before the Arizona Corporation Commission will determine whether APS can move forward with its proposed rate hike. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club says it plans to continue pressing for “transparency, accountability, and energy freedom,” ensuring that “ratepayers are not forced to fund reckless green energy policies.”
Jonathan Eberle is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
by Ethan Faverino | Sep 10, 2025 | News
By Ethan Faverino |
Arizona Public Service (APS), the state’s largest utility, has submitted a highly questionable new resource plan to the Arizona Corporation Commission, outlining a significant shift in its energy generation strategy through 2028.
The plan, detailed in a recent filing, reveals APS’s intent to disregard President Trump’s opposition to wind power. It will nearly double its generating capacity by adding 7,200 MW of new power, with 93% coming from expensive and unreliable renewable sources—solar, wind, and battery storage—while natural gas accounts for just 7%.
This marks a dramatic pivot toward renewables, with wind power additions matching gas over the next four years and solar outpacing gas by five times over the next three years.
The plan stems from APS’s 2023 “All Source” Request for Proposals (RFP), which initially sought 1,000 MW of new generation, with at least 700 MW from renewables. Surpassing expectations, APS contracted for 7,200 MW, transforming its energy mix.
By 2028, APS’s generation is projected to shift from 76% reliable dispatchable sources (55% natural gas, 14% coal, 8% nuclear) and 19% renewables (10% solar, 6% wind, 3% battery storage) to 46% reliable sources (35% gas, 6% coal, 5% nuclear) and 52% renewables (22% solar, 7% wind, 23% battery storage). This expansion is equivalent to building two new Palo Verde nuclear plants.
This renewable-heavy strategy comes despite recent emphasis by APS and the Commission on a new natural gas pipeline.
The plan has sparked controversy because it contrasts with President Trump’s criticism of wind energy, as APS doubles down on clean energy investments.
Regarding coal, APS’s filing remains vague on the closure of the Four Corners coal plant, projecting an exit between 2031 and 2038. This aligns with APS’s recent shift from “carbon-free” to a “carbon-neutral” goal by 2050.
The revised commitment addresses concerns about affordability and reliability while maintaining a focus on clean energy. Under carbon neutrality, APS must expand generation without increasing emissions, necessitating significant renewable and storage investments.
The Arizona Free Enterprise Club has expressed concerns over the delayed coal phase-out and questioned the cost of the renewable-heavy plan, estimating $42.7 billion over the next 15 years.
APS’s prior claims that renewables paired with storage could match the reliability and affordability of fossil fuels have faced skepticism that the transition may lead to higher rates and grid reliability challenges.
Ethan Faverino is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
