Energy Efficient Arizona Reports

As the eyes of the world have focused on the nuclear crisis in Fukushima, Japan, Americans have begun to raise questions about the safety of nuclear power plants in the United States. American nuclear power plants are not immune to the types of natural disasters, mechanical failures, human errors, and losses of critical electric power supplies that have characterized major nuclear accidents such as the one at Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan. Indeed, at several points over the last 20 years, American nuclear power plants have experienced “close calls” that could have led to damage to the reactor core and the subsequent release of large amounts of radiation.

The Arizona Corporation Commission was established in 1912 by the Arizona Constitution as a popularly elected body charged with regulating public utilities, corporate filings and securities, and railroad and pipeline safety. Sixteen electric utilities, seven natural gas utilities and more than 350 private water and sewer utilities fall under the purview of the Commission. This fall, Arizona voters will elect two commissioners to the Commission.

Nuclear power is among the most costly approaches to solving America’s energy problems. Per dollar of investment, clean energy solutions -- such as energy efficiency and renewable resources -- deliver far more energy than nuclear power.