Quick Response: Submit short comment to Arizona Corporation Commission on TEP's proposal to construct 10 GAS-FIRED Engines

Irvington Generating Station. 

Haven't the good people near Irvington had enough pollution?  Haven't we all had enough? Why would TEP construct 10 pollution spewing gas generators, when they could be transitioning to clean energy now?

Tucson is at a climate change crossroads. TEP's proposal to build 200 megawatts of new gas-fired electricity generation comes at a time when battery storage rushing in to help regions like ours avert ecological and climate change disaster. Batteries are even replacing these kinds of plants in neighboring states. TEP's application requires environmental and regulatory clearances from the Arizona Corporation Commission, the City of Tucson and Pima County officials.

The Arizona Corporation Commission will hold a hearing TOMORROW, March 13. Your written comments submitted today may make the difference. Use the sample message available here  (or better yet, personalize it for more impact.)

A groundswell of voices raised in the ears in local and state officials may just be enough to influence a reconsideration of this important decision. Please pass this on to others who may wish to add their voices.

TAKE ACTION NOW.

Read here for more background.

-Duane Ediger, organizer
Power Generation for Generations to Come

Proposed Location for 10 RICE gas-fired generators. 

Hey, everyone! If you submitted a comment, you should get a response with a message about your submission working... If not, I'd recommend sending your PDF to Jgomez@azcc.gov, pronto!

Sample comment:

Dear Corporation Commissioners,

As a Tucson Electric Power customer, I urge you to delay your ruling on TEP’s application for a Certificate of Environmental Compatibility, and withhold authorization for the construction of the Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engine Generation Project and the Irvington 138kV Transmission Line Relocation Project, consisting of 10 modular RICE generators and 2.2 miles of transmission lines, located within TEP’s Irvington campus.

(Add something about yourself and why you are writing here.)

TEP has failed to adequately demonstrate that there is no substantially more environmentally responsible and comparably cost and performance-competitive set of measures than the internal combustion generation they propose. I, along with the sustainability community, believe that currently available solar plus battery storage technology (possibly but not necessarily accompanied by time-of-use rates and other demand response measures) would result in improved service to all TEP customers with better environmental and financial outcomes for the utility and the customer base.

Battery storage has already resulted in the cancellation of proposed gas peaker plants in California. Regulators there are even requiring utilities to open competitive solicitations for solar + battery storage that are likely to supplant three existing gas peaker plants. Please, allow a similar condition to arise in our utility area. Regulate for the right choice to be made from the start.

No one is to blame for changing the existing plan. Two years ago, RICE made more sense than it does now. Even if only in the last few months, battery storage has come of age. Given the urgency of the need to decarbonize our energy production mix, we need to take advantage of the best solutions available now.  This is a great opportunity for Tucson to promote climate justice and for TEP to model in-time climate and environmental decisions and action.

Thank you for hearing my views.
(Name)

Find more talking points here. 

Find supporting resources and links for your Letters to Editor (op-eds) here.