Energy Efficient Arizona News Releases

The Fukushima Daiichi disaster raised fresh concerns about the safety of America’s nuclear power plants and the wisdom of building new nuclear power plants in the United States. One year after the deadly earthquake and tsunami that spawned the meltdowns at Fukushima, new information continues to emerge about the events that took place at Fukushima and the implications for the people of Japan and the future of nuclear power. This issue brief provides an update on the situation at Fukushima on the first anniversary of the disaster.

A new report released today by the Arizona PIRG Education Fund documents a history of safety problems at nuclear reactors in the United States. These incidents – like the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan – illustrate that nuclear power carries with it risks that are simply not worth taking.

Last fall, Salt River Project (SRP) agreed to postpone its proposed rate hike due to significant concerns about the size of the increase and SRP’s limited investments in energy efficiency and clean renewable energy.  Since that time, groups including the Arizona PIRG Education Fund asked ratepayers to send SRP the message that it should focus more on increased energy efficiency.  Today the SRP voted to approve the increase in energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.

Today, the Arizona PIRG Education Fund released Building an Energy-Efficient Arizona: Opportunities to Save Money and Reduce Pollution, a report describing Arizona’s current energy portfolio, benefits of a transition to energy efficiency, and successful energy efficiency programs in use across the country.