By Frank Andorka, Senior Correspondent
No one knows exactly what progressive billionaire Tom Steyer hoped to accomplish with his pro-solar ballot initiatives. Taken on their face, his amendments in Nevada and Michigan are designed to accelerate clean energy development in those states.
In the aforementioned states, the question is a little more clear: Steyer is not about putting ballot issues before voters simply for the sake of getting the vote. While the issue will go before Nevada voters, Steyer’s group in Michigan used the ballot initiative as a bargaining chip to extract clean energy promises from the state’s two largest utilities.
Arizona may be the next case where the overall strategy will become clearer.
Tuscon.com is reporting that Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) Commissioner Andy Tobin will file a plan with the commission to set an aggressive 80% renewable portfolio standard (RPS) by 2050 on Thursday – the same day Steyer’s group Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona is expected to file his petitions with the board of elections to have an equally aggressive 50% by 2030 plan on the ballot.
According to the report, Arizona Public Service (APS), the state’s largest utility, is trying to kill Steyer’s initiative because of one major difference between Tobin’s and plans: Tobin defines nuclear energy as “renewable;” Steyer’s plan does not.
Unlike other utilities in the state, APS actually owns two nuclear plants.
According to Tucscon.com,
Tobin, while not taking sides on the initiative, said he understands the concerns being cited by APS.
But he said his proposal is not based on any question of being supportive or opposed to nuclear power.
“I concentrated on what’s harming the quality of our air,” he said, specifically meaning things like coal-fired power plants.
Tobin is also pushing the biomass aspect of “clean energy.” Again, we turn to Tucson.com:
“I’m sick of these forest fires,” Tobin said, referring to blazes that get out of control because of overgrowth. He contends that promoting biomass means cleaner forests — and fewer, or at least smaller, blazes.
He said that’s part of the reason for a big push now. “If I miss this opportunity, I miss another fire season,” he said. “I can’t wait to 2019.”
Initiative supporters say nuclear plants are not clean energy, citing the effects of uranium mining on the surrounding communities. And there’s that whole “what to do with the nuclear waste once the fuel rods are spent” question no one seems ready to answer.
But…no matter what the outcome, Tobin’s filing on July 5 means he is concerned Steyer’s ballot initiative has the backing of the majority of Arizonans, and he wants to head it off at the pass. It will be interesting to see whether Steyer takes the Nevada approach of putting the issue before the voters or whether he’s willing to negotiate with the ACC over the nuclear issue. Stay tuned – this one could get really interesting really quickly.
More:
Arizona regulator’s proposal: Require 80 percent renewable energy by 2050