Arizona Solar Center - Your Guide to Solar and Other Renewable Energy Sources in Arizona

(The following information was provided by AriSEIA. Updated Monday, February 13, 2012)

Please consider contacting Arizona legislators concerning bill number HB 2789. Arizona Representative Lesko has proposed legislation that would slow down the approval process for renewable energy plans.

Bill Overview:

The bill number is HB 2789 and is titled "corporation commission rules; legislative approval." The bill can be read here. What this bill essentially does is add an additional layer of government to the approval process of renewable energy plans. The industry would have to work with the Corporation Commission in October/November of one year to create the plan and then go to the Legislature in January/February of the following year to have the plan approved. This would be unnecessarily burdensome! The Corporation Commission is the entity that handles solar planning. The Legislature is not in a position to do so. They do not have the time or necessary experience. If the legislature does not approve the proposed renewable plan, businesses and consumers would be left with extreme uncertainty, leading to increased confusion in the marketplace.

Points to discuss:

• The bill is likely unconstitutional.
• The bill adds another layer of government regulation, wasting the resources of the utilities, Legislature and ACC, and affected companies.
• The Arizona Corporation Commission is an elected body with the expertise to properly adopt or modify decisions.

What you can do:

• Attend the first hearing, which is now expected before the House Government Committee on Tuesday, February 14th at 2:00 pm. (Location: House of Representatives, 1700 W. Washington, Phoenix 85007)
• If you can't attend, oppose the bill remotely. If you have never signed in at the AZ Capitol to support/oppose a bill, you will need to sign in first.
• Call or email the Government Committee members. Below you will find the list of Representatives that serve on the Committee. Please call and/or email all of them to share your concerns.

Respectfully,

Arizona Solar Center
www.azsolarcenter.org