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Arizona Requirements to Implement Increased Renewable Energy Standards Amendment (2018)
| Arizona Requirements to Implement Increased Renewable Energy Standards Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 6, 2018 | |
| Topic Energy | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
The Arizona Requirements to Implement Increased Renewable Energy Standards Amendment was not on the ballot in Arizona as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018.
The measure would have enacted increased renewable energy standards, while prohibiting the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) from implementing the standards if the ACC determined that the increased standards would have:[1]
- decreased the affordability of electricity for customers;
- decreased the reliability of the electric grid; and
- decreased the well-being of the state.
The measure’s renewable energy standards would have increased from 12 percent in 2020 to 50 percent in 2030 and each year thereafter.[1]
The measure would have defined renewable energy to include solar, wind, biomass, certain hydropower, geothermal, and landfill gas energies.[1]
Text of measure
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article 15, Arizona Constitution
The measure would have added a Section 20 to Article 15 of the Arizona Constitution. The full text of the measure is available here.
Background
Renewable Energy Standards Initiative (2018)
The legislatively referred Requirements to Implement Increased Renewable Energy Standards Amendment would have competed on the ballot with a citizen-initiated Arizona Proposition 127, Renewable Energy Standards Initiative (2018). The ballot initiative would require electric utilities that sell electricity in Arizona to acquire electricity from a certain percentage of renewable resources each year. The amount would increase each year from 12 percent in 2020 to 50 percent in 2030 and each year thereafter. The measure would define renewable energy to include solar, wind, biomass, certain hydropower, geothermal, and landfill gas energies. Tom Steyer's group NextGen America is backing the competing initiative.[2]
House Bill 2005
House Bill 2005 (HB 2005) was designed to make violations of the initiative's renewable energy standard a civil penalty, meaning electric utilities that violate the standard would be fined between $100 to $5,000.[3][4] On March 21, 2018, the Arizona State Senate passed the bill 16-12. On March 22, 2018, the Arizona House of Representatives approved the bill 34-24.[3] Gov. Doug Ducey (R) signed the bill on March 23, 2018.[5]
Sandy Bahr, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club, argued that the goal of HB 2005 was to make violating the initiative low-risk to electric utilities. She said, "Everyone knows that if the cost of noncompliance is cheaper than the cost of compliance, entities will serve their shareholders, not consumers, and take the low road and pay the fines." Rod Ross, a lobbyist for the state's largest electric utility Arizona Public Service, said, "We feel like its important to protect the people of this state from an out-of-state initiative funded by a California billionaire that is attempting to raise our state's and our residents' energy prices, which is exactly what this initiative will do."[6]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Arizona Constitution
In Arizona, a constitutional amendment must be passed by a simple majority vote in each house of the Arizona Legislature during one legislative session.
The constitutional amendment as House Concurrent Resolution 2017 (HCR 2017) during the 2018 legislative session. On April 5, 2018, the state Senate approved the bill 16 to 11 with three members not voting. The amendment needed 16 votes to pass. The vote was along party lines, with Republicans supporting and Democrats opposing the amendment.[7] On May 4, 2018, the Arizona State Legislature adjourned the 2018 legislative session without a vote on the measure in the state House.[8]
| Vote in the Arizona State Senate | |||
| Requirement: Simple majority vote of all members in each chamber | |||
Number of yes votes required: 16  | |||
| Yes | No | Not voting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 16 | 11 | 3 |
| Total percent | 53.33% | 36.67% | 10.00% |
| Democrat | 0 | 11 | 2 |
| Republican | 16 | 0 | 1 |
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Arizona State Legislature, "House Concurrent Resolution 2017
- ↑ Arizona Secretary of State, "Initiative," accessed February 21, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Arizona State Legislature, "House Bill 2005," accessed March 22, 2018
- ↑ KJZZ, "Proposed Law Could Let Arizona Utilities Easily Skirt Renewable Energy Requirements," March 21, 2018
- ↑ U.S. News, "The Latest: Gov. Ducey Signs Bill to Buck Clean Energy Plan," March 23, 2018
- ↑ Payson Roundup, "State senate moves to negate alternative energy initiative," March 15, 2018
- ↑ Arizona State Legislature, "HCR 2017 Overview," accessed April 5, 2018
- ↑ Associated Press, "The Latest: Arizona Legislature adjourns 2018 session," May 4, 2018
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