AMBIENTALISTX
LETTER FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Querida comunidad,
If you’ve lived through a summer in Arizona, you know the heat isn’t just uncomfortable, it’s dangerous. Year after year, our state breaks records for extreme heat and families are left struggling to stay safe. Staying cool comes at a price and energy bills are skyrocketing. Too many of us are forced to make impossible choices between paying for electricity or putting food on the table.
Why is this happening in the sunniest state in the nation? We should be leading the way with clean, affordable solar power. Instead, our utility companies, and the regulators who are supposed to hold them accountable, are putting profits before people. The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), the body that sets the rules for our utilities, is eliminating renewable energy and efficiency standards that save families money and keep our grid strong. They are also making our communities more vulnerable in the face of deadly heat by letting utilities raise rates and keep relying on expensive, polluting fuels.
That’s why this edition of Ambientalistx is focused on energy. Inside, you’ll find stories that break down how Arizona’s utilities are regulated, why solar power remains underinvested despite our endless sunshine, and how much water it takes to produce energy through different sources in our state. You’ll also meet Shela, the brilliant artist behind Phoenix’s Clean Energy Mural, and learn concrete ways you can take action to demand affordable, clean energy for all.
Our communities deserve power that doesn’t empty our pockets or harm Madre Tierra. Together, we can hold decision-makers accountable, protect our families, and build an energy system that works for the people, not against us.
Con esperanza y solidaridad,
VIANEY OLIVARRÍA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Chispa Arizona
WHO RUNS ARIZONA'S POWER AND HOW ARE THEY REGULATED?
Ever wonder why your electric bill looks the way it does?
It’s not just about how much power you use, it’s also about which company serves your area and who keeps them in check. Arizona’s electricity system is split among a few big players, and they don’t all play by the same rules.
Arizona Public Service (APS) is the biggest power company in the state, serving 1.3 million customers, predominantly across central and northern Arizona and some parts of Yuma and Cochise Counties. APS is a for-profit company, which means it has shareholders who expect profits. Their electricity rates and policies are regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), an elected body of five-members that decides what APS can charge.
Tucson Electric Power (TEP) lights up the city of Tucson, and Unisource Electric (UNSE) provides electricity to parts of Western Arizona and Santa Cruz County. Like APS, they are for-profit and also regulated by the ACC.
Salt River Project (SRP) serves the Phoenix metro area and is technically a “public power” utility, so it is not regulated by the ACC. Instead, it’s run by an elected board and
only people who own a certain amount of land in SRP’s service area can vote, which means most of their customers have no say in their policies or rates.
Some cities, like the City of Mesa provide utility services to some of their residents. These utilities are regulated by their City Council.
In rural Arizona, smaller co-ops like Trico and Navopache keep the lights on. These are member-owned and customers vote for their decision-making boards.
So, depending on where you live in Arizona, your power company could be regulated by elected state officials, an exclusive landowner board, or by members of your community. And that has a huge impact on your wallet and on Arizona’s energy future.
ARIZONA ELECTRIC PROVIDERS Map
1.City of Mesa
2.City of Williams
3.Electrical District 3
4.Navajo Tribal Utility Authority
5.Salt River Project
ACC GIS August 28, 2025
So...What’s the Deal with the Arizona Corporation Commission?
Let’s talk about a group of folks most people never think about that have a huge impact on your electricity: the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). It’s made up of five commissioners that we elect, and they are basically the referees in Arizona’s energy game. The ACC’s mission is to make sure our power is safe, reliable, and affordable. The problem is they have been dropping the ball on protecting us.
How they’re letting us down:
Sky-High Bills
Instead of protecting Arizona families, the ACC has approved major rate hikes for utilities like APS. That means our wallets are empty because of increased electricity costs, especially during the summer, while power companies rake in huge profits. According to a press release by APS’ parent company Pinnacle West, in 2024, they brought in more than $600 million in profits.
Killing Clean Energy
Arizona has renewable energy requirements for utility companies that the ACC voted to eliminate during an open meeting. This means utilities will no longer have to move toward cheaper, cleaner solar energy, even though Arizona has tons of sunshine. Instead, this allows them to invest money into fossil fuels that keep us paying for expensive, high-polluting power.
Getting Rid of Energy Efficiency
Energy Efficiency Standards force utilities to cut waste and save us money. When utility companies waste less, we all pay less. For every $1 invested in these efficiency standards, Arizonans get almost $4 in benefits. The ACC is now in the process of throwing that all away.
But remember, the ACC commissioners are ELECTED. That means WE get a say in whether they keep putting profits first or put Arizona on a path to a future in which we can actually afford our electricity and breathe cleaner air.
So next time you open your electric bill and freak out about that number, think about the next election. Because you can choose commissioners that lookout for your interests and not the profits of utility companies.
ARIZONA CORPORATION COMMISSIONERS
Rachel Walden
Lea Márquez Peterson
Kevin Thompson
NickMyers
RenéLopez
arizona's got
Let's be real, Arizona is basically a solar panel’s dream home. We’ve got more sun than almost anywhere else in the country, so why are we still paying crazy-high bills for dirty energy? Solar power isn’t just about putting panels on rooftops. It’s about putting money back in our pockets, clean air in our lungs, and keeping the lights on when Arizona temperatures get higher than 110 degrees for long periods of time.
Arizona’s sunshine could give us cleaner, cheaper and more reliable electricity. But decision makers like the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) are NOT pushing our utility companies to invest in clean, renewable energy. Instead, they keep pouring money into expensive, old, unreliable and high-polluting power plants.
Fossil fuels like coal and gas are getting more expensive every year. But solar? Once it’s set up, the sun is free. That’s why, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, clean energy is now one of the cheapest ways to power our homes. For working families, that could mean not having to choose between paying a $500+ light bill and putting food on the table.
According to The Clean Arizona Plan, prepared by Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University, energy generation is the second largest source of pollution in our state. Power plants that burn fossil fuels pump out pollutants that make asthma, heart disease and heat-related illnesses worse.
Solar energy, on the other hand, gives us power without creating or exacerbating health issues.
Here’s another thing, solar energy also makes our power system stronger. Right now, Arizona relies on fossil fuel plants that are old, expensive to repair and could fail during extreme heat waves. When utility companies invest in solar energy and combine it with battery storage, power can flow at any time. That means less chances of an outage. According to an article published last year by the New York Times, a power outage could send 800,000 Phoenix residents to the ER.
"solar
power isn’t just about putting panels on rooftops. It’s about putting money back in our pockets, clean air in our lungs, and keeping the lights on when arizona temperatures get higher than 110 degrees."
The bottom line is that with clean energy in Arizona, we can have our cake and eat it too. We just have to hold decisionmakers, like the ACC, accountable to providing safe, reliable and affordable energy.
Averages less than 1 gallon of water per MWh of electricity generated. WIND POWER
NATURAL GAS PLANTS
Consume approximately 300 gallons of water per MWh of electricity generated.
Requires about 20 gallons of water per MWh of electricity generated. SOLAR POWER
COAL POWER
Consumes approximately 500 gallons of water per MWh of electricity generated.
PRODUCING ELECTRICITY COSTS WATER...AND THE COST IS HIGH!
Did you know that generating our electricity takes water?
Living in Arizona, a state that is experiencing ongoing drought, it’s super important that we know how our water is being used because water availability is a critical issue for us. Here is a visual based on information from Trout Unlimited’s Southwest Water-Energy Overview for Arizona that shows you how much water it takes to generate electricity through different means. Spoiler alert! It takes way more water to generate electricity from dirty coal, than it does from solar energy.
DID YOU KNOW THAT NUCLEAR ENERGY ISN'T AS CLEAN AS IT'S MADE OUT TO BE?
The power plants themselves don’t release much carbon, but the process behind them tells a different story. Mining, transporting, and processing uranium, plus dealing with all the nuclear waste, creates a lot more pollution than most people think.
NUCLEAR POWER
Requires approximately 720 gallons of water per MWh of electricity generated.
Consumes approximately 4,500 gallons of water per MWh of electricity generated. HYDROELECTRIC POWER
Shela Yu
If you’re ever in the Central Phoenix area, take yourself down to the intersection of 16th Street and Oak. On the northwest corner, you’ll see a beautiful mural that national organization Climate Power commissioned Shela Yu to paint in commemoration of the clean energy investments that would come to our state through the Inflation Reduction Act. Here’s a chat we had with Shela about the project.
AMBIENTALISTX: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your artistic practice.
SHELA: I am a Taiwanese American multi-disciplinary artist that was born and raised in Mesa, AZ. I paint murals, canvases, create digital designs, and am also a singer/songwriter performance artist. Creating is my way of navigating the human experience. In particular, I am passionate about the connection between humans and nature. Much of my work delves into understanding my Chinese heritage and roots whilst expressing my bond to the Sonoran Desert that I call home.
Q&A
WITH THE CREATOR OF PHOENIX’S CLEAN ENERGY MURAL
A: HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT AND WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO SAY YES?
S: Another local artist had reached out to me about this project and I was very excited to learn about Climate Power because it aligned with my own values around sustainability and caring for the earth. It was easy to say yes to a project that highlights climate justice and envisioning a sustainable future.
A: WHAT WAS YOUR PROCESS FOR DECIDING WHAT IMAGES TO INCLUDE IN THE MURAL AND ITS FINAL DESIGN?
S: There were a few key images that were asked of me to include such as the electric bus, the solar panels above the canal, and a nod to our farmers. I added the yellow-billed cuckoo because I love birds, and it is an endangered species in our backyard. The tricky part was bringing all the images together into one cohesive image that told the story of a sustainable Phoenix, AZ.
A: WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE WHEN YOU SAW THE FINAL PRODUCT?
S: I was happy with the final product. The vibrant colors are very eye catching and I’m grateful I got to create this mural on such a large-scale and in busy corner. I particularly like the farmer girl holding a chicken. I hope to do some homesteading in the future, and I really love when I hear about people living in the city who homestead. I feel like it’s the best of both worlds. A marriage of the city and nature. Ultimately, I hope to be part of more projects such as this one. Using our imagination to instill hope and greater vision for an equitable and sustainable collective future is a matter of survival.
TAKE ACTION FOR AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY IN ARIZONA
Solar For All is a state program that would allocate $156 million to bring more solar energy access to working-class communities across Arizona.
The program aims to lower energy costs for eligible participating households, create good-paying jobs around Arizona and provide working-class families access to reliable and affordable renewable energy.
The Environmental Protection Agency is eliminating the funding that would make Solar For All possible.
Tell your federal and state representatives to protect Solar For All funding by scanning the QR code and finding your representatives!
www.azcleanelections.gov/elected-officials
APS is proposing to raise their customer electricity rates by 14% after they’ve already increased rates by 8% in 2023 and 2024.
Every summer, some Arizonans pay more than $500 per month, sometimes having to choose between paying their light bill or putting food on the table.
Enough is enough! Make your voice heard during upcoming public hearings of this rate case and tell the ACC to REJECT APS’ rate increase.
Follow Chispa Arizona on social media and scan the QR code to join people in holding the ACC accountable for affordable electricity. We’ll keep you posted on when the public hearings happen so we can