by admin | Mar 4, 2025 | News and Updates, Regulatory
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Today, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club and AZ Liberty Network released a comprehensive analysis of the APS ’Net Zero’ resource plan approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission in 2024.
The independent analysis found that the APS ‘Net Zero’ Preferred Plan, built around their publicly stated goal of shutting down all reliable fossil fuel power generation over the next 25 years, would cost Arizona ratepayers over $40 billion dollars and likely result in blackouts by 2038.
Some of the key findings from the report include the following:
-
- The APS Net Zero plan would increase monthly utility bills for residential customers by nearly $100 per month, with commercial customers seeing an increase of $454 per month.
- The APS plan would also result in serious reliability concerns due to the overreliance on intermittent power sources. By 2038, the APS service territory could face a capacity shortfall as high as 3,701 MW. This represents 33% of the total customer demand, potentially exposing hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses to rolling blackouts and power outages.
- APS currently meets their 8.1 GW of energy demand with 10 GW of capacity, largely from reliable sources of energy including coal, nuclear, and natural gas. To meet future energy demand under their plan relying on intermittent wind, solar, and battery storage, APS will need to overbuild the grid by nearly tripling capacity to 27 GW.
- An alternative True Least Cost (TLC) scenario modeled in the report shows that a plan built around reliable dispatchable power as opposed to intermittent wind, solar, and battery storage would save ratepayers over $20 billion dollars.
Though the Arizona Corporation Commission has a policy requiring an independent cost analysis before approving a resource plan by a utility, the Commission voted to waive this requirement during their most recent IRP process.
The full report can be accessed at the following link.
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.
by admin | Feb 26, 2025 | Elections, News and Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Today, in another outrageous and unprecedented ruling, a panel for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit enjoined enforcement of commonsense legislation spearheaded by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club that required proof of citizenship to vote in state elections. The action by the appeals court comes after the Supreme Court of the United States ordered immediate provision of this Arizona law, stopping those trying to register to vote from using the state form if they did not give proof of citizenship.
“It’s clear this circuit court panel is motivated by radical ideology, and not the impartial judgment of the law,” said Scot Mussi, President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. “After months of legal wrangling over this law, and clear guidance from the nation’s high court, the Ninth Circuit still wrongly believes that it is the final arbiter of the U.S. Constitution and our laws. This ruling will continue to sow doubt into our system of government and will cost much more in taxpayer dollars thanks to the emergency appeal that will be again filed at the U.S. Supreme Court.”
Mussi added, “The Arizona Free Enterprise Club will do whatever it takes to stand in defense of this law. We are hopeful that the U.S. Supreme Court will deliver a swift and final rebuke of the Ninth Circuit in this matter once an emergency appeal is docketed.”
The case at hand involves a challenge to HB 2492, which was authored by the Arizona Free Enterprise Club (AZFEC) and passed by the Arizona Legislature in 2022 to stop non-U.S. citizens from registering to vote and casting ballots in our state. Previously, a panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit allowed Arizona officials to reject state voter registration forms without proof of citizenship, which was part of the intent and purpose of the law in question. Yet, another panel on the same appeals court inexplicably overturned this order, vacating enforcement of the law concerning state voter registration forms, leading to an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The U.S. Supreme Court quickly overruled the Ninth Circuit’s order, allowing the provision on proof of citizenship for state voters to go into effect. This was the last court action in this case until today’s surprising decision by the Ninth Circuit.
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.
by admin | Feb 20, 2025 | Misc, News and Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – In the first month of President Donald J. Trump’s administration, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has taken several steps to restore freedom, consumer choice, and our nation’s cherished values to the American transportation industry. Arizona Free Enterprise Club President Scot Mussi issued the following statement:
“We applaud President Trump for keeping his promises in issuing policies that promote freedom and choice for American transportation. Over the past four years, hardworking taxpayers have been oppressed by the previous administration’s regulatory overreach and woke agendas imposed by faceless bureaucrats. The Trump administration’s efforts on several transportation-related fronts will give significant savings to Arizonans and their children and grandchildren – not to mention eliminating destructive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and other radical policies that plagued our nation’s workforce.”
Mussi added, “The Arizona Free Enterprise Club stands with President Trump, Secretary Sean Duffy, and the members of their team, as they restore freedom and commonsense to the American transportation industry; and we call on the U.S. Congress to codify these meaningful executive orders into law.”
Some of the actions from the Trump Administration on the transportation front include:
-
- Executive Order 14148, “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” to revoke orders from the previous administration “that directed or encouraged [the Department of Transportation] and other agencies of the Executive Branch to use their regulatory powers, including the power to set corporate average fuel economy (CAFÉ) standards, to achieve the previous administration’s policy goal of forcing rapid electrification of the Nation’s motor vehicle fleets.”
- Executive Order 14154, “Unleashing American Energy,” to “announce that it is the policy of the current Administration to promote the production, distribution, and use of reliable domestic energy supplies, including oil, natural gas, and biofuels; to ensure that all regulatory requirements related to energy are ‘grounded in clearly applicable law’; and ‘to elimination the electric vehicle (EV) mandate and promote true consumer choice’” with multiple actions to remove regulations and empower consumer choice across the country.
- Memorandum of Implementation of Executive Orders Addressing Energy, Climate Change, Diversity, and Gender to enact executive orders that “direct Federal agencies, where and as consistent with law, to identify and eliminate all orders, directives, rules, regulations, notices, guidance documents, funding agreements, programs, and policy statements, or portions thereof, which were authorized, adopted, or approved between noon on January 20, 2021 and noon on January 20, 2025, and which reference or relate in any way to climate change, ‘greenhouse gas’ emissions, racial equity, gender identity, ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ goals, environmental justice, or the Justice 40 Initiative.”
- Order Ensuring Reliance Upon Sound Economic Analysis in Department of Transportation Policies, Programs, and Activities, which “updates and resets the principles and standards underpinning U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) policies, programs, and activities to mandate reliance on rigorous economic analysis and positive cost-benefit calculations and ensure that all DOT grants, loans, contracts, and DOT-supported or – assisted State contracts bolster the American economy and benefit the American people.”
- Rescission of the previous administration’s rule that required “state transportation departments to measure and establish declining targets for carbon dioxide emissions on federally supported highways.”
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.
by admin | Feb 19, 2025 | Elections, News and Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Today, Governor Katie Hobbs vetoed SB 1011 / HB 2703, which would have greatly sped up Arizona’s election results to ensure that the state was no longer severely lagging in its vote tabulations.
“Thanks to this foolish, stubborn, and politically minded veto from Governor Hobbs, Arizona will remain the laughingstock of the country when Election Night rolls around again,” said Scot Mussi, President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. “Governor Hobbs is more interested in catering to a fringe minority of her party than the vast majority of Arizonans who were calling for this necessary and reasonable election reform. This action from the Governor’s Office is not what our state expects from our leaders when there are clear procedural problems to address on issues that are central to the government’s purview.”
SB 1011 / HB 2703 would have enacted the following procedures for Arizona elections to drastically improve the speed and efficiency of the tabulation process, ensuring that a vast majority of votes are counted on Election Day:
-
- Cut off early ballot drop-offs to vote collection locations on the Friday preceding Election Day.
- Require voters in larger counties to confirm their address every election cycle to receive a ballot by mail, and those in smaller counties to confirm their address every four years to receive a ballot by mail.
Read additional insight here.
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.
by admin | Feb 14, 2025 | Misc, News and Updates
“Drain the swamp” is fun to say, and it makes for a great slogan for an election campaign. But too often, that’s where it stops. How many times have you heard politician after politician use such a phrase only to be elected and leave the swamp intact—or make it murkier? But now, it’s 2025. President Trump is back in office, and he is setting a standard of excellence when it comes to draining the swamp—especially on some key issues. And Scottsdale’s newly elected city council is following his lead.
President Trump unleashed a torrent of Executive Orders that have unleashed fossil fuel production in America, rolled back the Green New Deal climate cult fantasy, ended DEI and other race-based hiring and employment practices, and is taking a sledgehammer to the administrative state by letting Elon Musk identify and eliminate billions in wasteful spending.
As we have watched the Trump team move at warp speed to deliver on their campaign promises, we were curious to see if any other state or local governments would follow Trump’s lead at plowing ahead with DOGE-style meaningful reform. Here in Arizona one city has: Scottsdale.
After years of Scottsdale governance that was far more liberal than its electorate, voters ousted all four incumbents on the council, replacing them with conservative firebrands ready to put their predecessor’s far-left agenda into the woodchipper.
Of course, this didn’t stop the lame-duck council from trying to set up roadblocks for their replacements. Immediately after their defeat, Scottsdale began passing all sorts of woke policies before the end of their tenure. One of those policies, championed by former Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega, was the city’s sustainability plan. Passed in the 11th hour before the new city council took office, the plan called for the city government to:
-
- Reduce citizens’ household trash output by 90% in 15 years.
- Ration citizens’ electric usage—regardless of power source.
- Ration water usage for single-family homes while giving businesses and apartments a pass.
- Outsource local control to the agendas and politics of county government.
- Redirect your tax dollars to speculative environmental programs.
- Subject citizens’ home and business to monitoring and auditing.
Reduce citizens’ trash by 90%?!? Ration water for families—except for businesses and apartments?!?
The plan was a complete nightmare, and thankfully, the new city council didn’t waste any time. Immediately after taking office, it voted to repeal Scottsdale’s Green New Deal sustainability plan. This is a huge win for Scottsdale residents, but the new city council wasn’t done yet.
Earlier this week, the Scottsdale City Council also voted to end discriminatory “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) policies. In its place, it adopted a new ordinance that will ensure city employees are “hired, evaluated, and promoted based on merit.” What a concept! You mean an organization should hire someone based on their qualifications? It’s amazing that it takes an ordinance to make this happen, but welcome to 2025.
On top of this, Scottsdale will also be restoring sanity by no longer wasting taxpayer dollars on DEI programming, trainings, and other initiatives—including the Office of DEI. And if that’s not enough, city employees will be required to return to in-person work.
We’re just over a month into the Trump administration—part two—and conservative majorities in key areas around the state. With big wins at both the federal and local level, we can’t take our foot off the gas. President Trump has taken the lead, and it’s good to see city councils like the one in Scottsdale following with strong leadership and a firm commitment to restore sanity. Now it’s time for every jurisdiction throughout Arizona to get on board and follow Scottsdale’s blueprint to drain the swamp.
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.
by admin | Feb 14, 2025 | Elections, News and Updates
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – Yesterday, the Arizona Legislature passed SB 1011 / HB 2703, sending the bill to the Governor’s Office. The proposal from legislators, which mirrors policies from the State of Florida, would greatly speed up the result of elections every two years to ensure that Arizona is no longer severely lagging in its vote tabulating – especially when there are critical races on the ballot to adjudicate.
“After one too many Election Nights (and weeks) of delayed results, Arizona legislators have done the right thing, crafting a bill that gives our state same-day results,” said Scot Mussi, President of the Arizona Free Enterprise Club. “Voters are exhausted of watching this slow-motion train wreck every November. Other states have same-day election results, and it is high time that Arizona enters the 21st Century in this regard. We call on Governor Katie Hobbs to sign this carefully crafted and negotiated bill into law.”
SB 1011 / HB 2703 would enact the following procedures for Arizona elections to drastically improve the speed and efficiency of the tabulation process, ensuring that a vast majority of votes are counted on Election Day:
-
- Cut off early ballot drop-offs to vote collection locations on the Friday preceding Election Day.
- Require voters in larger counties to confirm their address every election cycle to receive a ballot by mail, and those in smaller counties to confirm their address every four years to receive a ballot by mail.
Read more about the efforts here.
Help Protect Freedom in Arizona by Joining Our Grassroots Network
Arizona needs to have a unified voice promoting economic freedom and prosperity, and the Free Enterprise Club is committed to making that happen. But we can’t do it alone. We need YOU!
Join our FREE Grassroots Action List to stay up to date on the latest battles against big government and how YOU can help influence crucial bills at the Arizona State Legislature.
Recent Comments