In a move to ensure that the rush towards sustainable energy doesn't saddle everyday folks with extra costs, Arizona Corporation Commission Vice Chair Nick Myers took a stand regarding a new data center's vow to go 100% renewable. Myers got straight to the point with Tucson Electric Power, seeking assurances that their existing customers wouldn't see their bills go up as a result of this "green new deal" initiative, as reported by the Arizona Corporation Commission.
"Data centers certainly have the right to have their own corporate goals; however, as a regulator, I cannot allow these goals to drive up costs for other customers," Myers expressed, according to a statement on the Arizona Corporation Commission's website. TEP responded, claiming it would not serve the data center exclusively with renewable energy but instead with a mix from its existing and planned energy portfolio which should include the already planned resources in its 2023 Integrated Resource Plan.
TEP's game plan doesn't involve hiking up power generation solely for the data center; rather, the center intends to acquire renewable energy credits (RECs) to fulfill its promises, which Myers acknowledged is a strategy that "has no impact on other customers." The green handshake between TEP and the data center, known as Project Blue and developed by Beal Infrastructure Group alongside Humphrey's Peak Power, LLC, was given the thumbs up by the Commission on Wednesday, setting a precedent for holding corporate green strides accountable to the public's bottom line, as noted by the Arizona Corporation Commission.
The deal is simple: any new renewable energy beyond the first 286 megawatts will be paid for by the data center, not customers. Anyone with questions about the agreement can contact Vice Chair Myers at [email protected], as per the Arizona Corporation Commission.
