Renewable Energy Battle Brewing in Arizona, with Confusion as a Weapon

"Climate advocates are preparing a ballot measure that calls for 50% renewables by 2030. GOP lawmakers just approved a nearly identical one, but with a catch. "

"Voters in Arizona are in for a messy battle over renewable energy this fall, as climate advocates and Republican lawmakers advance two competing ballot initiatives that are nearly identical. Both propose the same clean energy target using almost the same words, but only one requires that the target actually be met.

Over the past two weeks, the state legislature has made two last-minute attempts to challenge a pending ballot measure supported by environmentalist and billionaire Tom Steyer that would require Arizona utilities to get half their power from renewable sources by 2030.

The lawmakers first set penalties that are so low, they would have little impact on utilities failing to meet the renewable energy target. Then, at the urging of the state's largest electric utility, they created the copycat ballot proposal—with an added provision that would make it easy for state officials to abandon that 2030 target altogether."

Nicholas Kusnetz reports for InsideClimate News March 29, 2018.