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Arizona House Bill HCM2014

Arizona 2025 Regular Session

Arizona House Bill HCM2014 Compare Versions

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1-Senate Engrossed House Bill corporation commission; reliable energy State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 HOUSE CONCURRENT MEMORIAL 2014 A CONCURRENT MEMORIAL Urging the Arizona corporation commission to ensure reliable and affordable utility services. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
1+House Engrossed corporation commission; reliable energy State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025 HOUSE CONCURRENT MEMORIAL 2014 A CONCURRENT MEMORIAL Urging the Arizona corporation commission to ensure reliable and affordable utility services. (TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
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11+House Engrossed corporation commission; reliable energy
412 State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session 2025
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2555 A CONCURRENT MEMORIAL
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2759 Urging the Arizona corporation commission to ensure reliable and affordable utility services.
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31-To the Commissioners of the Arizona Corporation Commission: Your memorialist respectfully represents: Whereas, in 2006 the Arizona Corporation Commission approved the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff Rules mandating that regulated electric utilities generate 15% of their energy from renewable resources by 2025, costing ratepayers $2.3 billion; and Whereas, in 2020, the Arizona Corporation Commission opened a docket to consider mandating utilities to obtain 100% renewable energy by 2050; and Whereas, an independent third-party analysis found that the proposed mandates would cost ratepayers $6 billion by 2050, resulting in the mandate being rejected by a three-to-two vote; and Whereas, following the rejection of renewable mandates by the Commission, Arizona's utilities announced voluntary commitments to go "Net Zero" by 2050; and Whereas, Net Zero requires retiring all coal generation by 2031 and relying almost exclusively on solar, wind and battery storage; and Whereas, solar and wind are intermittent and therefore unreliable sources of energy generation that cannot be dispatched at all times to respond to demand; and Whereas, countries that have committed to going Net Zero have experienced increased costs and reduced reliability, including in Germany where the cost of electricity per kilowatt hour is more than 42 cents compared to an average cost of 15 cents per kilowatt hour in Arizona, representing an annual cost of $3,300 more for the average customer; and Whereas, utilities have to "overbuild" the grid when replacing reliable sources of energy with unreliable sources of energy to account for the intermittent nature of those sources, increasing the cost of electricity and making the grid less reliable and secure; and Whereas, the retirement of reliable generation sources would plunge Arizona into energy poverty, putting reliability at risk and making electricity unaffordable for Arizonans; and Whereas, Arizona citizens, including families, schools, hospitals, small businesses, farms and industries, depend on reliable and affordable electric utility service for everything they do, from operating lifesaving medical equipment to operating lifesaving building temperature and humidity control systems; and Whereas, on January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump declared a national energy emergency, finding that the policies of the previous administration have driven our nation into a national emergency where a precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply and an increasingly unreliable grid require swift and decisive action; and Whereas, consistent with the national energy emergency, on April 8, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued executive orders to reinvigorate America's beautiful clean coal industry, strengthen the reliability and security of the United States electric grid and secure America's energy dominance by removing unlawful and burdensome state-level impediments to domestic energy production; and Whereas, these executive orders recognize the importance of coal to fuel growing energy demand and ensure a secure, reliable and affordable grid and aim to keep vital power plants across the country online; and Whereas, Arizona utilities have already shuttered 3,453 megawatts of coal generating capacity since 2013, including three out of five generating units at the Four Corners Power Plant, two out of four units at the Cholla Generating Station and three out of three units at the Navajo Generating Station; and Whereas, Arizona utilities plan to shut down 426 megawatts of coal generating capacity from the remaining two units at the Cholla Generating Station in 2025; and Whereas, Arizona utilities plan to retire the remaining 3,520 megawatts of coal generating capacity by 2032, including the Springerville Generating Station, the remaining units at the Four Corners Power Plant and the Coronado Generating Station; and Whereas, reactivating Arizonas shuttered coal plants and bolstering our remaining coal fleet would unleash a reliable, diversified energy supply to support local industries, creating good paying jobs and reducing our reliance on foreign energy sources in the process. Wherefore, your memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays: 1. That the Arizona Corporation Commission ensure the Arizona grid is powered by affordable and reliable energy generation. 2. That the Arizona Corporation Commission prevent regulated utilities from going "Net Zero" and shutting down this state's critical dispatchable sources of energy generation and replacing them with costly, intermittent and unreliable solar, wind and battery storage. 3. That the Arizona Corporation Commission immediately reconsider previous decisions approving the closure of existing coal plants, including the planned retirement of the Cholla Generating Station in 2025 and the Four Corners Power Plant in 2031. 4. That the Arizona Corporation Commission direct regulated utilities to revise, update and resubmit their most recent integrated resource plans to provide portfolios that prioritize reliable sources of baseload and dispatchable power that are the most cost effective for ratepayers to meet future demand. 5. That the Arizona Corporation Commission support President Trump's agenda to unleash American energy with the use of reliable sources of power generation including coal. 6. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the Chairperson and each Commissioner of the Arizona Corporation Commission.
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69+ To the Commissioners of the Arizona Corporation Commission: Your memorialist respectfully represents: Whereas, in 2006 the Arizona Corporation Commission approved the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff Rules mandating that regulated electric utilities generate 15% of their energy from renewable resources by 2025, costing ratepayers $2.3 billion; and Whereas, in 2018, Proposition 127, which would have amended the Arizona constitution to require utilities to obtain 50% renewable energy by 2030, was rejected by voters by more than a two-to-one margin; and Whereas, in 2020, the Arizona Corporation Commission opened a docket to consider mandating utilities to obtain 100% renewable energy by 2050; and Whereas, an independent third-party analysis found that the proposed mandates would cost ratepayers $6 billion by 2050, resulting in the mandate being rejected by a three-to-two vote; and Whereas, following the rejection of renewable mandates by the Commission, Arizona's utilities announced voluntary commitments to go "Net Zero" by 2050; and Whereas, Net Zero requires retiring all coal generation by 2031 and relying almost exclusively on solar, wind and battery storage; and Whereas, solar and wind are intermittent and therefore unreliable sources of energy generation that cannot be dispatched at all times to respond to demand; and Whereas, countries that have committed to going Net Zero have experienced increased costs and reduced reliability, including in Germany where the cost of electricity per kilowatt hour is more than 42 cents compared to an average cost of 15 cents per kilowatt hour in Arizona, representing an annual cost of $3,300 more for the average customer; and Whereas, recent reports have found that ratepayers in states with renewable energy mandates spend 42% more on electricity than ratepayers in states with no mandates; and Whereas, Net Zero is built on a faulty presumption that carbon is bad, yet carbon dioxide makes up less than 0.4% of earth's atmosphere, amounting to 400 parts per million, and if carbon dioxide levels drop below 150 ppm life could not be supported; and Whereas, the United States going Net Zero would only reduce global temperatures by 0.02 degrees and the entire world going Net Zero would only reduce global temperatures by 0.13 degrees; and Whereas, this trivial reduction in global temperatures cannot justify the $78 trillion, at minimum, cost of eliminating carbon emissions; and Whereas, the retirement of reliable generation sources would plunge Arizona into energy poverty; and Whereas, in 2006 the Arizona Corporation Commission approved the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff Rules mandating that regulated electric utilities generate 15% of their energy from renewable resources by 2025, costing ratepayers $2.3 Billion; and Whereas, in 2018, Proposition 127, which would have amended the Arizona constitution requiring utilities to obtain 50% renewable energy by 2030, was rejected by voters by more than a 2-1 margin; and Whereas, in 2020, the Arizona Corporation Commission opened a docket to consider mandating utilities to obtain 100% renewable energy by 2050; and Whereas, an independent third-party analysis found that the proposed mandates would cost ratepayers $6 billion by 2050, resulting in the mandate being rejected by a 3-2 vote; and Whereas, following the rejection of renewable mandates by the Commission, Arizonas utilities announced voluntary commitments to go Net Zero by 2050; and Whereas, Net Zero requires retiring all coal generation by 2031 and relying almost exclusively on solar, wind, and battery storage; and Whereas, solar and wind are intermittent and therefore unreliable sources of energy generation that cannot be dispatched at all times to respond to demand; and Whereas, countries that have committed to going Net Zero have experienced increased costs and reduced reliability, including in Germany where the cost of electricity per kilowatt hour is more than 42 cents compared to an average cost of 15 cents per kilowatt hour in Arizona, representing an annual cost of $3,300 more for the average customer; and Whereas, recent reports have found that ratepayers in states with renewable energy mandates spend 42% more on electricity than ratepayers in states with no mandates; and Whereas, Net Zero is built on a faulty presumption that carbon is bad, yet carbon dioxide makes up less than 0.4% of earths atmosphere amounting to 400 parts per million and if carbon dioxide levels drop below 150 ppm life could not be supported; and Whereas, the United States going Net Zero would only reduce global temperatures by 0.02 degrees and the entire world going Net Zero would only reduce global temperatures by 0.13 degrees; and Whereas, this trivial reduction in global temperatures cannot justify the at minimum $78 trillion cost of eliminating carbon emissions; and Whereas, the retirement of reliable generation sources would plunge Arizona into energy poverty; and Whereas, Arizona citizens, including families, schools, hospitals, small businesses, farms and industries, depend on reliable and affordable electric utility service for everything they do, from operating lifesaving medical equipment to operating lifesaving building temperature and humidity control systems; and Whereas, utilities have to "overbuild" the grid when replacing reliable sources of energy with unreliable sources of energy to account for the intermittent nature of those sources, recovering costs from ratepayers for energy they never receive; and Whereas, Arizona ratepayers should only pay for the energy they receive; and Whereas, utilities and the Corporation Commission should focus only on ensuring reliable, affordable and abundant energy generation.Whereas, utilities have to overbuild the grid when replacing reliable sources of energy with unreliable sources of energy to account for the intermittent nature of those sources, recovering costs from ratepayers for energy they never receive; and Whereas, Arizona ratepayers should only pay for the energy they receive; and Whereas, utilities and the Corporation Commission should focus only on ensuring reliable, affordable, and abundant energy generation. Wherefore, your memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays: 1. That the Arizona Corporation Commission ensure the Arizona grid is powered by affordable and reliable energy generation. 2. That the Arizona Corporation Commission prevent regulated utilities from going "Net Zero" and shutting down this state's critical dispatchable sources of energy generation and replacing them with costly, intermittent and unreliable solar, wind and battery storage. 3. That the Arizona Corporation Commission protect ratepayers by adopting the national model policy entitled "Only Pay for What You Get" to allow Arizona utilities to recover costs only from the reliable portion of generation from a proposed new source. 1. That the Arizona Corporation Commission ensure the Arizona grid is powered by affordable and reliable energy generation; 2. That the Commission prevents regulated utilities from going Net Zero and shutting down our critical dispatchable sources of energy generation and replacing them with costly, intermittent, and unreliable solar, wind and battery storage; 3. That the Commission protect ratepayers by adopting national model policy entitled, Only Pay for What You Get, to allow Arizona utilities to recover costs only from the reliable portion of generation from a proposed new source. 4. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the Chairperson and each Commissioner of the Arizona Corporation Commission.
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3371 To the Commissioners of the Arizona Corporation Commission:
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3573 Your memorialist respectfully represents:
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3775 Whereas, in 2006 the Arizona Corporation Commission approved the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff Rules mandating that regulated electric utilities generate 15% of their energy from renewable resources by 2025, costing ratepayers $2.3 billion; and
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77+Whereas, in 2018, Proposition 127, which would have amended the Arizona constitution to require utilities to obtain 50% renewable energy by 2030, was rejected by voters by more than a two-to-one margin; and
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3979 Whereas, in 2020, the Arizona Corporation Commission opened a docket to consider mandating utilities to obtain 100% renewable energy by 2050; and
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4181 Whereas, an independent third-party analysis found that the proposed mandates would cost ratepayers $6 billion by 2050, resulting in the mandate being rejected by a three-to-two vote; and
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4383 Whereas, following the rejection of renewable mandates by the Commission, Arizona's utilities announced voluntary commitments to go "Net Zero" by 2050; and
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4585 Whereas, Net Zero requires retiring all coal generation by 2031 and relying almost exclusively on solar, wind and battery storage; and
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4787 Whereas, solar and wind are intermittent and therefore unreliable sources of energy generation that cannot be dispatched at all times to respond to demand; and
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4989 Whereas, countries that have committed to going Net Zero have experienced increased costs and reduced reliability, including in Germany where the cost of electricity per kilowatt hour is more than 42 cents compared to an average cost of 15 cents per kilowatt hour in Arizona, representing an annual cost of $3,300 more for the average customer; and
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51-Whereas, utilities have to "overbuild" the grid when replacing reliable sources of energy with unreliable sources of energy to account for the intermittent nature of those sources, increasing the cost of electricity and making the grid less reliable and secure; and
91+Whereas, recent reports have found that ratepayers in states with renewable energy mandates spend 42% more on electricity than ratepayers in states with no mandates; and
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53-Whereas, the retirement of reliable generation sources would plunge Arizona into energy poverty, putting reliability at risk and making electricity unaffordable for Arizonans; and
93+Whereas, Net Zero is built on a faulty presumption that carbon is bad, yet carbon dioxide makes up less than 0.4% of earth's atmosphere, amounting to 400 parts per million, and if carbon dioxide levels drop below 150 ppm life could not be supported; and
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95+Whereas, the United States going Net Zero would only reduce global temperatures by 0.02 degrees and the entire world going Net Zero would only reduce global temperatures by 0.13 degrees; and
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97+Whereas, this trivial reduction in global temperatures cannot justify the $78 trillion, at minimum, cost of eliminating carbon emissions; and
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99+Whereas, the retirement of reliable generation sources would plunge Arizona into energy poverty; and
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101+Whereas, in 2006 the Arizona Corporation Commission approved the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff Rules mandating that regulated electric utilities generate 15% of their energy from renewable resources by 2025, costing ratepayers $2.3 Billion; and
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103+Whereas, in 2018, Proposition 127, which would have amended the Arizona constitution requiring utilities to obtain 50% renewable energy by 2030, was rejected by voters by more than a 2-1 margin; and
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105+Whereas, in 2020, the Arizona Corporation Commission opened a docket to consider mandating utilities to obtain 100% renewable energy by 2050; and
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107+Whereas, an independent third-party analysis found that the proposed mandates would cost ratepayers $6 billion by 2050, resulting in the mandate being rejected by a 3-2 vote; and
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109+Whereas, following the rejection of renewable mandates by the Commission, Arizonas utilities announced voluntary commitments to go Net Zero by 2050; and
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111+Whereas, Net Zero requires retiring all coal generation by 2031 and relying almost exclusively on solar, wind, and battery storage; and
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113+Whereas, solar and wind are intermittent and therefore unreliable sources of energy generation that cannot be dispatched at all times to respond to demand; and
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115+Whereas, countries that have committed to going Net Zero have experienced increased costs and reduced reliability, including in Germany where the cost of electricity per kilowatt hour is more than 42 cents compared to an average cost of 15 cents per kilowatt hour in Arizona, representing an annual cost of $3,300 more for the average customer; and
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117+Whereas, recent reports have found that ratepayers in states with renewable energy mandates spend 42% more on electricity than ratepayers in states with no mandates; and
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119+Whereas, Net Zero is built on a faulty presumption that carbon is bad, yet carbon dioxide makes up less than 0.4% of earths atmosphere amounting to 400 parts per million and if carbon dioxide levels drop below 150 ppm life could not be supported; and
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121+Whereas, the United States going Net Zero would only reduce global temperatures by 0.02 degrees and the entire world going Net Zero would only reduce global temperatures by 0.13 degrees; and
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123+Whereas, this trivial reduction in global temperatures cannot justify the at minimum $78 trillion cost of eliminating carbon emissions; and
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125+Whereas, the retirement of reliable generation sources would plunge Arizona into energy poverty; and
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55127 Whereas, Arizona citizens, including families, schools, hospitals, small businesses, farms and industries, depend on reliable and affordable electric utility service for everything they do, from operating lifesaving medical equipment to operating lifesaving building temperature and humidity control systems; and
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57-Whereas, on January 20, 2025, President Donald J. Trump declared a national energy emergency, finding that the policies of the previous administration have driven our nation into a national emergency where a precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply and an increasingly unreliable grid require swift and decisive action; and
129+Whereas, utilities have to "overbuild" the grid when replacing reliable sources of energy with unreliable sources of energy to account for the intermittent nature of those sources, recovering costs from ratepayers for energy they never receive; and
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59-Whereas, consistent with the national energy emergency, on April 8, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued executive orders to reinvigorate America's beautiful clean coal industry, strengthen the reliability and security of the United States electric grid and secure America's energy dominance by removing unlawful and burdensome state-level impediments to domestic energy production; and
131+Whereas, Arizona ratepayers should only pay for the energy they receive; and
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61-Whereas, these executive orders recognize the importance of coal to fuel growing energy demand and ensure a secure, reliable and affordable grid and aim to keep vital power plants across the country online; and
133+Whereas, utilities and the Corporation Commission should focus only on ensuring reliable, affordable and abundant energy generation.Whereas, utilities have to overbuild the grid when replacing reliable sources of energy with unreliable sources of energy to account for the intermittent nature of those sources, recovering costs from ratepayers for energy they never receive; and
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63-Whereas, Arizona utilities have already shuttered 3,453 megawatts of coal generating capacity since 2013, including three out of five generating units at the Four Corners Power Plant, two out of four units at the Cholla Generating Station and three out of three units at the Navajo Generating Station; and
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65-Whereas, Arizona utilities plan to shut down 426 megawatts of coal generating capacity from the remaining two units at the Cholla Generating Station in 2025; and
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67-Whereas, Arizona utilities plan to retire the remaining 3,520 megawatts of coal generating capacity by 2032, including the Springerville Generating Station, the remaining units at the Four Corners Power Plant and the Coronado Generating Station; and
137+Whereas, Arizona ratepayers should only pay for the energy they receive; and
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69-Whereas, reactivating Arizonas shuttered coal plants and bolstering our remaining coal fleet would unleash a reliable, diversified energy supply to support local industries, creating good paying jobs and reducing our reliance on foreign energy sources in the process.
139+Whereas, utilities and the Corporation Commission should focus only on ensuring reliable, affordable, and abundant energy generation.
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71141 Wherefore, your memorialist, the House of Representatives of the State of Arizona, the Senate concurring, prays:
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73143 1. That the Arizona Corporation Commission ensure the Arizona grid is powered by affordable and reliable energy generation.
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75145 2. That the Arizona Corporation Commission prevent regulated utilities from going "Net Zero" and shutting down this state's critical dispatchable sources of energy generation and replacing them with costly, intermittent and unreliable solar, wind and battery storage.
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77-3. That the Arizona Corporation Commission immediately reconsider previous decisions approving the closure of existing coal plants, including the planned retirement of the Cholla Generating Station in 2025 and the Four Corners Power Plant in 2031.
147+3. That the Arizona Corporation Commission protect ratepayers by adopting the national model policy entitled "Only Pay for What You Get" to allow Arizona utilities to recover costs only from the reliable portion of generation from a proposed new source.
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79-4. That the Arizona Corporation Commission direct regulated utilities to revise, update and resubmit their most recent integrated resource plans to provide portfolios that prioritize reliable sources of baseload and dispatchable power that are the most cost effective for ratepayers to meet future demand.
149+1. That the Arizona Corporation Commission ensure the Arizona grid is powered by affordable and reliable energy generation;
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81-5. That the Arizona Corporation Commission support President Trump's agenda to unleash American energy with the use of reliable sources of power generation including coal.
151+2. That the Commission prevents regulated utilities from going Net Zero and shutting down our critical dispatchable sources of energy generation and replacing them with costly, intermittent, and unreliable solar, wind and battery storage;
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83-6. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the Chairperson and each Commissioner of the Arizona Corporation Commission.
153+3. That the Commission protect ratepayers by adopting national model policy entitled, Only Pay for What You Get, to allow Arizona utilities to recover costs only from the reliable portion of generation from a proposed new source.
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155+4. That the Secretary of State of the State of Arizona transmit copies of this Memorial to the Chairperson and each Commissioner of the Arizona Corporation Commission.