Report: Arizona Public Service's Approved 'Net Zero' Plan to Eliminate Fossil Fuels Will Cause Blackouts, Increase Prices by 45 Percent

A new report analyzing electric utility Arizona Public Service's "Net Zero" Preferred Plan, which was approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) last year, found that the plan to eliminate carbon dioxide emissions caused by fossil fuels by 2038 will increase prices for ratepayers by at least 45 percent and cause blackouts. The Arizona Free Enterprise Club and AZ Liberty Network issued their findings last week about the aggressive plan to switch to solar and wind power.

The report, authored by Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling, co-founders of Always On Energy Research (AOER), emphasized, "The most important thing to know about Arizona Public Service (APS) is that it is not a private company, it is a government-approved monopoly utility." Families who live within its territory do not have any other option for electricity.

AOER noted that the radical agenda was adopted "not in response to legislation passed by Arizona lawmakers or policies set by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), but rather to meet the company's self-imposed Net Zero by 2050 and Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) goals."

The report found that the APS Preferred Plan would increase energy costs by at least 6.23 cents per kWh, raising annual electricity costs for the average American family by at least $1,620 annually. Currently, the cost of electricity through APS is slightly less than the nation's average.

In order to avoid rolling blackouts, AOER said APS would need to increase energy efficiency up to nine times the current amount. Otherwise there will be "multiple rolling blackout events from July 20-23, 2038, with the two largest lasting for 11 and 9 hours, respectively, due to low wind and solar output."

One section of the report is titled "How Perverse Profit Motives Drive APS's Green Goals." The ACC sets the rates that APS and similar utilities may charge, allowing them to make as much as 5 to 10 percent in profits on their capital investments. This lets them "make a profit on every dollar they spend on new builds such as wind turbines, solar panels, natural gas plants, or even renovating corporate offices," the report said. As a result, "The more money APS spends, the more money it will make for its shareholders at the expense of ratepayers."