Amy Dominguez, amy.dominguez@sierraclub.org
PHOENIX, AZ – Today Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter hosted the SRP is Full of Gas Tour to address pollution, climate change, water use, and proposed gas plant expansion at three of its gas plants located throughout the valley.
Despite adopting a 2035 sustainability plan, Salt River Project (SRP) has caused more harm than good, promising carbon emissions reductions and instead delivering continued reliance on fossil fuels, intending to build as much as 769 MW of new gas by 2030. In addition to impacting the public health of Arizonans, these plans won't meet the immediate steps outlined in the 2023 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report released in March that underscore the urgency of making meaningful progress towards carbon pollution reduction.
The tour included stops at the Agua Fria Generating Station, the Kyrene Generating Station, and the Santan Generating Station, all located near overburdened communities that are disproportionately impacted by air pollution that can contribute to serious health impacts including asthma and bronchitis.
During the tour, community members including Reverend Kate Lehman with Arizona Faith Network, former Tempe City Councilwoman Lauren Kuby, and State Senator Mitzi Epstein spoke to address the importance of clean, renewable energy, and support for the People's Energy Plan, demonstrating how SRP can be a leader among Arizona's utilities in the transition from fossil gas.
"Urgent, meaningful progress towards carbon pollution reduction is critical, and Arizona has no time to waste," said Sandy Bahr, Director of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter. "SRP is holding on to a significant amount of fossil gas, and as today's tour demonstrated, these polluting facilities are in the backyard or doorstep of overburdened communities that are already contending with disproportionate air quality. SRP claims to be a climate leader, but we have yet to see it take necessary action that our planet depends on to fight climate change."
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About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.