In a pair of moves this week, both Arizona’s Governor Katie Hobbs and Attorney General Kris Mayes took steps to make energy in the Grand Canyon state affordable, safer, reliable, and cleaner.
Earlier today, Governor Hobbs awarded $15.6 million through the Governor’s Office of Resiliency’s Arizona Grid Resilience Grant Program, towards four grid resiliency projects whose goals are to “strengthen and modernize Arizona’s power grid against wildfires, extreme weather, and other disasters.”
The grant recipients who are matching funds provided by the state are the:
- Rural Arizona Cooperative Grid Hardening Project.
- Strengthening Arizona’s Grid Utilizing Advanced Resilience Operations (“SAGUARO”.)
- The Ligurta Substation Modernization Project- Grid Resilience Grant.
- Wildfire Mitigation and Grid Resilience Project.
When completed, these projects will, according to a Gubernatorial office press release:
- “Reduce power outages for nearly 290,000 Arizona customers.
- Reduce wildfire risk by 20% in wildfire-project regions.
- Enhance the grid’s capacity to withstand extreme weather events and wildfires, reducing outage impacts on local businesses, households, schools, hospitals, and critical infrastructure.
- Enhance and help identify future decisions related to grid resilience.
- Extend equipment lifespan, reducing the financial strain on Arizona residents’ energy bills.”
Commenting on the grants, Governor Hobbs said in her press release:
“I’m investing in Arizona’s affordable energy future and strengthening our energy system because it’s critical to the success of our families and businesses. These projects will significantly boost grid reliability, decrease power outages, reduce wildfire and extreme weather risks, and lower costs for Arizonans. Investments in Arizona energy are investments in growing our economy, creating more jobs, and ensuring opportunity for all Arizonans. I will continue to strengthen Arizona’s affordable energy economy so Arizona can thrive now and in the future.”
Maren Mahoney, the Director of the Governor’s Office of Resiliency offered:
“The Arizona Grid Resilience Grant Program invests in modernizing the Arizona power grid to protect Arizonans. These awarded projects reach customers in every county of the state and address critical areas vulnerable to extreme weather risks. These innovative improvements to our energy system will help prevent extreme weather damage and reduce impacts on Arizona families and businesses.”
The Governor’s grant announcement comes two days after Attorney General Kris Mayes secured, in partnership with other Democratic Attorney Generals across the country, yet another court victory against the Trump Administration, with a judge ruling against the anti-clean energy government’s attempt to freeze the development of wind power energy sources.
After the ruling from Federal Judge Patti Saris, Mayes commented:
“Trump’s illegal wind order would have driven up energy costs for Arizonans already struggling with high utility bills. In Arizona, wind energy projects on State Trust lands also generate critical revenue that supports our public schools. The Trump administration’s illegal freeze of these programs would have harmed Arizona and threatened our state’s economy and environment. I am proud to have sued to block this unlawful order.”
On social media, the Attorney General and her team posted:
Donald Trump’s energy policy harkens backwards to a time when coal and oil were the prime energy sources of the nation.
Katie Hobbs, Kris Mayes, and most forward-looking public servants know the future is in affordable, safe, modern, reliable, and cleaner sources of energy.
They represent the policies that will steer the nation ahead, while Mr. Trump and his science-denying MAGA supporters call for the brain-dead and economically crippling restoration of a time that is long past, ill-advised, and locally and nationally destructive.
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