Renewable-energy plan OK'd
Regulators approve timetable for alternative power sources

The Arizona Republic
November 1, 2006
Mark Shaffer

After all the years of lip service about the potential for alternative-energy production in Arizona, especially solar, it's now down to brass tacks.

Arizona Corporation Commission members Bill Mundell, Barry Wong, Kris Mayes and Jeff Hatch-Miller voted Tuesday for a measure, and Mike Gleason against, to require that 15 percent of the state's total energy production be from renewable-energy sources by 2025.

A significant amount of that 15 percent - about one-third - by 2011 will come from so-called distributed energy, which is electricity produced by residential or non-utility-owned firms

In other words, commissioners opened the door for creative technologies in the fields of solar, wind, biomass and possibly geothermal to show they can produce substantial quantities of energy.

The benchmarks for the renewable-energy production accelerate over time with 2.5 percent of the total by 2010 to 5 percent by 2015, 10 percent by 2020 and 15 percent by 2025. The percentage of that total in distributed energy has been mapped out only through 2011. It would be 5 percent of the total next year, with 5 percent annual jumps until 2010, and a 10 percent increase in 2011.

After the vote, about 50 supporters of renewable energy broke out in sustained applause for the commission vote.

"This truly is a historic vote after a long and thorough process," said Mundell, the longest-standing commissioner at seven years and a strong advocate from the outset, when Arizona became the first state to adopt a renewable-energy program. "This will lead to environmental benefits, higher-paying jobs and less dependence on fossil fuels from volatile foreign governments."

Mayes called the renewables effort "the most extensive vetted rule-making in the history of Arizona. It would be insane to continue our reliance on natural gas and these rules break that cycle of insanity."

Hatch-Miller said the annual filings of utility companies will show "where the rubber meets the road."

"This is dedicated to the children in the future. It's a slow and cautious pace and we need to be vigilant and may need to change direction every once in a while," Hatch-Miller said.

But Gleason, who angrily denounced his fellow commissioners for what he said was not wanting to protect the public during discussions leading up to the vote, said the commission opted for "expediency over perfection" in passing the new rules on renewables.

"These rules degrade the reliability of our Western (power) grid," Gleason said, adding that the poor will suffer most for increased costs for energy in the future.

"This is a pig in the poke and opens the pocketbook for whatever people (energy producers) want."