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Arizona regulators on Thursday approved a series of amendments laying out new clean energy requirements for utilities, including a mandate to deliver 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050.
The 3-2 vote by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) is a major step forward, but a final vote is still required and clean energy advocates caution it is too soon to celebrate. “It’s a good step forward, but we’re not there yet. … There’s still quite a bit of process,” said Adam Stafford, Clean Energy Program staff attorney for Western Resource Advocates.
The decarbonization plan includes interim targets of 50% by 2032 and 75% by 2040, with a requirement for utilities to supply 50% renewable energy by 2035. Regulators also passed a new battery target that includes a carve-out for distributed storage.