Tucson Electric and APS keep fossil fuel in 15-year plans

Arizona's two biggest power companies just mapped out their next 15 years. Tucson Electric Power and Arizona Public Service each filed Integrated Resource Plans on October 30. The plans map out how they'll generate electricity through the early 2040s. Both plans add real amounts of new solar and battery storage. Both also keep some coal and natural gas plants running rather than phasing them all out.

Not everyone reads these plans the same way. Sierra Club, the environmental group, calls the fossil fuel piece 'expensive dependence' that locks in higher bills and more emissions. APS, in its own announcement, describes the same filing as prioritizing 'reliability and affordability' for customers. Both filings genuinely include more clean energy than before. The dispute is really about how fast is fast enough. It's not whether the utilities are adding clean energy at all.

Keep reading — what to watch

Will Arizona regulators push back on either utility's timeline? The Arizona Corporation Commission still has to review both plans. It can ask for changes before approving them. Watch whether regulators side with Sierra Club's push for a faster transition, or with the utilities' reliability argument.