Latest news with #ArizonaPromise
Business Wire
29-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
TEP to Convert Coal-Fired Springerville Generating Station Units to Natural Gas
TUCSON, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tucson Electric Power (TEP) plans to convert two units at the coal-fired Springerville Generating Station (SGS) to run on natural gas by 2030. The project will maintain access to affordable, around-the-clock energy while reducing carbon emissions and preserving local jobs. 'Our SGS conversion project will extend the life of a plant that has powered Tucson's growth for more than four decades,' said Susan Gray, TEP's President and CEO. 'It will help us provide reliable, affordable, and increasingly sustainable service while extending our productive partnership with communities in the White Mountains region.' Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs praised the project. 'A resilient grid that's reliable, affordable, and sustainable is core to delivering on the Arizona Promise,' Hobbs said. 'This plan will deliver cleaner air and lower costs, while strengthening communities in northeastern Arizona and building a more resilient energy future.' Cost-Effective Capacity The conversion will provide comparable capacity to the coal-fired units while costing less than building new resources such as a new combined cycle natural gas-fired facility or solar plus long-term energy storage systems that provide comparable reliability. The natural gas conversion also will provide greater cost certainty compared to the continued use of coal. TEP's 2023 Integrated Resource Plan called for the retirement of SGS Units 1 and 2 in 2027 and 2032, respectively, due to rising fuel costs, increasing delivery risks, anticipated mine closures, and environmental considerations and regulation. Although current federal policy is supportive of coal-fired generation, those long-term risks remain. Natural gas-fired generators provide advantages over coal-fired power plants on today's energy grid, as they can better accommodate and support increasing levels of intermittent wind and solar power. Coal plants are designed to operate at steady levels and cannot easily ramp up or down in response to customer needs and renewable energy output. Lower Carbon Emissions The conversion will reduce the units' carbon dioxide emissions by 40 percent, supporting TEP's goal of achieving net zero direct greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 without compromising on reliability or affordability. We are pursuing that aspirational goal through a balanced energy mix that also supports greater resiliency and energy security. Natural gas generation can serve as a 'bridge' to a cleaner energy future, providing ready, reliable power while newer technologies mature. Options may include cost-effective long-duration storage, small modular nuclear reactors, and a switch to hydrogen as a carbon-free fuel source for plants previously powered by natural gas. 'Achieving our 2050 net zero goal will require an all-of-the-above approach, including investments in clean energy solutions and partnerships with customers to encourage thoughtful energy use,' Gray said. 'While we cannot predict exactly how we'll achieve net zero carbon emissions, we know that efficient, reliable natural gas generation will be a part of our path toward that goal.' Supporting Local Economies The SGS repowering project will support the continued availability of affordable, reliable power in Southern Arizona for local residents and businesses. It will also maintain jobs and tax revenues for Springerville, Eager, St. John's and other White Mountains communities that our SGS employees call home. 'This transition at Springerville is a step toward a more sustainable energy future that doesn't leave rural Arizona behind,' said U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.). 'By moving away from coal while maintaining affordable and reliable power, TEP is showing that we can protect jobs, while propelling innovative energy solutions at the same time. Arizona needs smart, balanced solutions like this that support working families, strengthen local economies, and keep us moving toward our clean energy goals.' TEP has been operating SGS since 1985 on a high desert plain about 175 miles northeast of Tucson, near the Arizona-New Mexico border and about 15 miles outside of Springerville, Ariz. It was one of several coal-fired power plants developed during the 1970s and 1980s in the Four Corners area to support growing communities in the southwest United States. 'Springerville Generating Station isn't just a power plant. It's a lifeline to the Round Valley communities,' said Springerville Mayor Shelly Reidhead. 'This commitment to repower the plant with natural gas helps ensure a brighter future for this region, saving jobs, stabilizing the tax base and attracting future energy investments.' SGS Unit 1 came online in 1985, while Unit 2 came online in 1990. TEP owns Units 1 and 2 and operates all four units at the plant, including Unit 3, a 400 MW unit owned by Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, and Unit 4, a 400 MW unit owned by Salt River Project (SRP). Please visit our Media Resource Page for a video interview about TEP's plan to repower SGS and b-roll footage of the plant.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As governor, I'm not just talking about Arizona's problems. I'm fixing them
In my State of the State address and executive budget, I shared my vision for an Arizona that is laser-focused on delivering security, opportunity and freedom for our state. That vision is the Arizona Promise — the one Arizonans elected me to deliver. The Arizona Promise means families feel safe in their communities and our border is secure, that Arizonans have the opportunity to get ahead without working two or three jobs, that we have the freedom to live our lives as we see fit without government interference. It's what Arizona, at its best, has always stood for, but for too long politicians have let it slip away. I have taken definitive, measurable action to restore the Arizona Promise. So, it was disappointing to read a recent Arizona Republic editorial that did not acknowledge its own paper's reporting on the work my administration has done to secure our water future, protect Arizona from wildfires and create good-paying jobs by securing historic semiconductor industry investments. On top of that, my executive budget takes common sense steps to grow on our success by cutting costs for working families and investing in public safety. And I'm not just speaking loudly about these critical issues — contrary to what the editorial board suggested — I'm taking decisive action. I have used my 'bully pulpit' to protect groundwater and fight for our fair share of the Colorado River. In fact, after I traveled to the Willcox basin, witnessed family farms going dry and saw houses cracking in half due to overpumping, I took action without hesitation. I enacted the first governor-led Active Management Area in the Willcox basin to protect our water. When foreign corporations were pumping a rural county dry, I again took action to protect Arizona families and farmers. I ended Fondomonte leases in the Butler Valley. I did this without hesitation, before the editorial board made this recommendation. I'm proud to say I've done more to protect our groundwater than any governor in the last four decades, since Bruce Babbitt passed the historic Groundwater Management Act. I'm also fighting to protect our Colorado River water. As reported many times by this very news organization, I've already secured a deal on the Colorado River to protect Arizonans through 2026 from federally mandated, draconian cuts. Thanks to my leadership, no Arizonan will be forced to cut their water use. And while we work toward a long-term Colorado River compromise, my executive budget sends a clear message that Arizona is ready to fight for our fair share, with a $3 million litigation fund. The Arizona Promise also means we stand ready to fight wildfires. I've already secured $29 million to build wildfire resiliency. And my proposed budget includes another $30 million to bolster our Wildfire Suppression Fund. Most importantly, it includes a 15% raise for our state firefighters, who work tirelessly to prevent disaster and remain willing to run toward danger. Opinion: Hobbs' budget is out of touch The editorial board also suggested I help put our state in a position to recognize and maximize opportunities from the CHIPS Act. I couldn't agree more. In fact, as reported in The Arizona Republic, my administration helped secure $3 billion in federal funding for Arizona's first national laboratory, a facility that is certain to help attract billions of dollars in further business investment and create thousands more good-paying jobs for Arizona workers. All of this is in addition to my commitment to secure the southern border. I deployed the Arizona National Guard and stood up Task Force SAFE, which has stopped 8 million fentanyl pills from coming across the border and poisoning our communities, in addition to more than 2,000 pounds of cocaine, meth and other drugs. When I travel the state, Arizonans talk about the cost of housing, child care and food. They worry about water, fires and immigration. My plan lowers the cost of child care by two-thirds and lowers the cost of housing by cutting red tape and helping working-class people buy their first home. My budget provides even more resources to secure the border and stop the flow of drugs. It offers pay raises for state police and firefighters because they need to be paid what they're worth. I also set out an ambitious plan to end veterans' homelessness with a down payment into the Homes for Heroes fund to support the men and women who have given so much to our country. I've heard from the people of Arizona, and I'm committed to standing with them. I know these aren't Republican issues or Democratic issues — they're Arizona issues — and it's why I've taken them on. While there remains much to do, I'm delivering. Like the editorial board wisely suggested. Katie Hobbs is governor of Arizona. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter, @GovernorHobbs. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Katie Hobbs is taking strong action on water, fires, border | Opinion
