Rincon Group / Our Blogs / Blog on "Energy in Arizona" per Catalina. . .
TEP posted their final Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) on June 26th! The docket was hard for some to find because it wasn't a TEP docket - this is the number: #E-00000V-19-0034.
The PDF is on our Drive folder HERE. [284 pages]
There's a lot of good news - your letters, docket comments and comments in the public IRP workshop were heeded! TEP met with the Advisory Council that morning, and let us know that these public comments helped shape the IRP; two things that struck them heavily were the many mentions of climate change and "just transition" off of coal. They seemed surprised by how much Tucson cares and wants to get off of dirty fuels - that's what happens when you give folx the chance to participate in these decisions! Thank you all for engaging in those provided opportunities and the ones to come (we aren't done)!
Some highlights:
- Complete coal exit from their 3 plants by 2032: out of San Juan still in 2022, out of Four Corners in 2031, AND formerly unannounced retirement of the Springerville coal plant - Unit 1 in 2027 and Unit 2 in 2032, only seasonal operation beginning in 2023.
- Adding 2.5 GW of renewable resources - solar, wind and storage - 476 MW between '20 and '22
- 70% renewable by 2035
- No new gas
- Doubling energy efficiency (energy savings, or in other words, taking measures not to use in the first place)
- Beginning "just transition" planning
- TEP included many possible portfolios in the IRP, but TEP’s Preferred Portfolio will result in reductions in CO2 emissions reaching 80 percent below 2005 levels by 2035 or earlier (page 25)
- Reducing groundwater usage by 70% by 2035
These are great steps forward, with bigger progress and more transparency than TEP has had in the past. AND we are going to keep asking for better and for sooner. We will keep working to get Tucson and AZ off of fossil fuels as soon as possible, and will continue to need your voice and actions. If the Phoenix utility APS moves up retirement of Four Corners GS, TEP (7% owner) will most likely follow suit, as Phoenix utility APS is the majority owner - we will be watching for opportunities to push for this.
It is notable that an IRP is non-binding, meaning there is no recourse for utilities not following it. This is something we've proposed be changed in the Rules portion of the Energy Modernization docket also open and active at the ACC currently.
If you have questions or comments regarding this IRP, please email catalina.ross@sierraclub.org
One last thing about this, the original IRP process timeline has been pushed back to give Commission Staff more time to review the IRPs. Although you can comment in the docket anytime, using the number at the top of this post, the new schedule shifts the official stakeholder comment window to 8/26 - 10/15. The final acknowledgement vote by the ACC will happen in February 2021.
