Arizona Public Service’s Proposal Leaves Communities Vulnerable to Skyrocketing Energy Bills
Vote Solar’s Solutions Prioritize Affordability and Clean Energy Alternatives
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2026
Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Public Service filed its newest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) on October 30, outlining how the utility plans to meet future energy needs. The IRP, which APS is required to file once every three years, retracts the utility’s clean energy commitments, leaving communities exposed to rising energy bills and higher pollution.
APS’ new plan abandons the utility’s commitment to deliver clean, affordable, and carbon-free electricity by 2050, and achieve 65 percent clean energy and 45 percent renewable energy by 2030. Today, APS reports that less than 28 percent of its generation resources are renewable, far short of its prior goals. In its proposal, APS also seeks to cancel the planned retirement of the Four Corners coal plant, which was slated for retirement in 2031. Earlier modeling from APS determined that shifting the plant to seasonal operations, running it only during the summer, starting in 2028, would be economical. Now, the utility says it has no firm retirement date for the plant.
“Arizona families deserve an energy system that keeps pace with growing energy needs without locking communities into more expensive, polluting infrastructure,” said Vote Solar’s West Senior Regulatory Director, Kate Bowman. “APS should be investing in proven community-based energy solutions, like local solar and battery storage, to help meet demand, not doubling down on outdated resources at the expense of cleaner, more affordable alternatives.”
In addition to the delayed retirement of the Four Corners coal plant, APS’s new resource plan includes 4 gigawatts of new natural gas generation capacity, which requires the construction of a new multi-state gas transmission pipeline. Nearly 3 gigawatts of the planned new generation resources will be specifically dedicated to serving new large load customers like data centers. The plan acknowledges the risks associated with building new gas infrastructure, including the possibility that the pipeline will not be completed on time or that anticipated large load customer energy needs may be lower than anticipated.
“Doubling down on building new gas infrastructure comes with risks and costs for customers, yet APS failed to consider how alternative technologies like rooftop solar, battery storage, and other distributed resources could help meet energy needs,” said Bowman. “As this IRP moves forward, the Commission has an opportunity to push for a more comprehensive approach that puts affordability, reliability, and the interests of customers at the center of long-term planning.”
APS’ resource plan did not fully evaluate community power networks, or consider how they could help meet energy needs more effectively and affordably. Vote Solar intends to participate in APS’s IRP process to advocate for prioritizing affordability and the inclusion of community power— distributed energy resources like local solar and battery storage— as an important part of the APS’s strategy for creating local reliability while cutting peak demand costs and improving energy affordability.
About Vote Solar
Vote Solar is a nonprofit advocacy organization working to advance state-level policies that make solar solutions accessible to all. Since 2002, Vote Solar has worked to build an equitable clean energy future by leveraging deep policy expertise, strategic partnerships, and public engagement. In the face of powerful opposition, Vote Solar champions bold solutions that expand clean energy access, drive investment in frontline communities, and accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy.