The impacts of climate change are all around us, from drought and wildfires to extreme heat.
Last year was the hottest Arizona summer on record, and we’re already on track for soaring temperatures again this season. Maricopa County reported 645 people lost their lives to heat-related illness in 2023.
Public health experts tell us that heat-related deaths are always preventable. Fighting climate change by providing clean electricity to our communities that is reliable and affordable is one way Arizona can mitigate this crisis.
In order to limit warming to no more than 2°C and avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change, we must achieve economy-wide net zero greenhouse gas emissions no later than 2050. For Arizona to do its part to achieve this ambitious and science-based goal, we must significantly accelerate the pace of emissions reductions from electricity generation today.
Unfortunately, Arizona’s utilities are out of step and falling behind when it comes to clean energy commitments. In fact, Salt River Project and Arizona Public Service have some of the weakest decarbonization targets in the West. They can and should be doing more to protect the health and wellbeing of our families.
