The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Tucson just hit the 90s, so we can all switch from how cold it is to how hot it got. Maybe that will kickstart more climate emergency thinking. I hope so. And let’s not get distracted by Prop 412. More on that in a minute.
We’ve been in a climate news blackout since early March when the Mayor and Council adopted the impressive Tucson Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.
Recent proposals from the Manager’s office to Mayor and Council show real intent to properly fund and move ahead with the Climate Action Plan, and hopefully, will be approved.
But...are we going to successfully undertake the list of priority actions with only two new employees (a program manager and a data analyst) and some “reassigned duties” of existing City staffers? Not likely! It seems like we need a new Office of Climate Preparedness (or something like that) with say, 6-8 employees. The other City staffers already have a full load, and many departments are already short-staffed.
At least one of the new hires should be focused on community (not just City) matters. It’s the community that needs help from the City on climate issues!
And to make matters worse, TEP is not helping but asking each of us to pay another $16 monthly for our electricity in their current rate case! Now we learn that TEP needs another $30-$40 million to underground power lines near the University of Arizona and charge each of us (in the City) another $1 per month. This last charge is tied to the proposed TEP franchise agreement renewal. (Prop 412)
One of the reasons that money needs to be spent is to hide a new higher-voltage power line basically going to the university to meet its increasing power needs, as well as to serve nearby neighborhoods.
The City is now negotiating with the UA, Pima Community College and TUSD, asking each of them to chip in to help cover free public transit since now the City pays for it, and those companies benefit. Their employees can ride, and they don’t need to pay! Nice deal if you can get it …and the university has so far on bus rides and wants to do it again on powerline costs. How about if the university ponies up some cash to pay for the underground lines?
And how about if TEP shareholders put some serious money on the table for the Climate Action Plan? Remember that TEP operates on the Tom Sawyer Plan: they decide to do stuff, usually, the Corporation Commission approves, and then we ratepayers pay for it, whether we like it or not.
But wait!! For once, you have a chance to vote on something TEP wants: the new franchise agreement, Prop 412. If we vote “no,” then we can get more from TEP as part of a renegotiated package of agreements. TEP could agree to get rid of its fossil plants sooner and do more renewables and storage. They could give low-income people solar panels and batteries or they could assist neighborhoods in developing resilience centers, all by a separate simultaneous contract agreement, like other cities have done with their utilities to support real climate action.
But as it now stands, TEP gets a 25-year pass on any serious contribution to climate action in Tucson, except what’s good for them. They are donating a few EV chargers. Guess what? When you charge your car, you’re paying for TEP electricity! They know that and want more chargers. Well, how about if they pay for them and help pay for other needed climate plan improvements? And then maybe the UA will pay for part of the costs of the new powerline too. That’s corporate responsibility. That’s what we need!
