Amy Dominguez, Amy.Dominguez@sierraclub.org
TEMPE, AZ -- Today the Salt River Project (SRP) Board of Directors voted to approve its Integrated System Plan (ISP) strategies which will guide how the utility plans to generate its power. These proposed strategies will mean SRP will continue to rely on coal and will add more harmful gas-fired plants that will exacerbate the water crisis, drive costs up for ratepayers, and contribute to the climate crisis.
As Arizona sits in the bullseye of climate change, and after a sweltering, record-breaking summer heat wave, including a 31-day streak of highs at or above 110 degrees fahrenheit in Phoenix, urgent planning for a transition to clean energy is needed now more than ever. But instead, SRP’s proposed ISP strategies set a path forward that includes:
- No retirement date for the coal-fired Springerville Generating Station’s Unit 4, making SRP the only major utility in Arizona with no retirement date for one of its coal units.
- Building an additional 2,000 megawatts (MW) of methane gas, which is much more than any other Arizona utility
According to the Clean Air Task Force’s Toll from Coal report, the Springerville Generating Station emits 8,930,296 tons of CO2 per year. Carbon dioxide accounts for three-quarters of the warming impact of human-made, planet-warming gases. Meanwhile, methane gas is known to set the pace for global warming in the near term. But instead of planning for a future that prioritizes the safety of our communities and planet, SRP insists on continuing to burn fossil fuels, extending its coal plant operations and locking in decades of pollution.
Because SRP’s resource planning is not regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), after today’s vote, the ISP strategies are set to go into effect. They are so broad that they are like a blank check for coal and gas for SRP management. It is up to the SRP Board to determine the timeframe for the next ISP. Advocates are calling on SRP leadership to reject these strategies and re-do the ISP on an annual basis, to make sure they come back with a better plan that retires coal and limits new gas.
After the vote, Sierra Club and partners gathered at the entrance of SRP headquarters to object to the vote and to support a People’s Energy Plan for Arizona that details how SRP can advance clean energy by utilizing carbon-free resources. Local community members and clean energy advocates had presented the plan to SRP last October, but were denied an opportunity to present it to the SRP Board.
“As Arizonans continue to experience the impacts of climate change such as drought, and extreme heat, it's up to utilities like Salt River Project to present responsible plans that facilitate the timely transition to clean energy instead of doubling down on dirty fossil gas that burdens ratepayers and impacts frontline communities,” said Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter Director Sandy Bahr. “SRP has one of the weakest goals for reducing carbon of any major Arizona utility. SRP’s Board must demand better and ensure that its ratepayers have the clean energy future they deserve.”
“SRP has been meeting for two years to come up with a list of ‘strategies’ that is no more than vague corporate jargon. The Board must act as a regulator and demand that SRP submit a full resource plan for approval. That plan should include a robust stakeholder process, which includes inclusion of all interested stakeholders, access to modeling, and an ability to both submit and review all the portfolios and sensitivities that SRP evaluated. It should also include a requirement that all future procurements undergo a stakeholder vetted All Source Request for Proposal (ASRFP) process and updated sustainability goals that include a closure date for all coal plants and a mass based carbon emissions reduction commitment that is science based,” said Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association (AriSEIA) Executive Director Autumn Johnson.
“The ISP is out of touch with the reality of our times,” said Alex Routhier, Ph.D., Western Resource Advocates Arizona Clean Energy Manager and Senior Policy Advisor. “As Arizonans struggle with high electricity bills and suffer from the impacts of climate change, this planning process was SRP’s chance to model science-based goals and inform resource strategy for the coming decade. That opportunity has been squandered.”
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.