As TEP plans next 15 years of power, questions raised on transparency and data centers
Tucson Electric Power's 15-year energy plan, known as the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), faces scrutiny over transparency after Pima County, Tucson, and the Sierra Club declined to sign non-disclosure agreements for modeling data. The planning process is under fire for its consideration of high-load customers like data centers, particularly in light of ongoing community opposition to the "Project Blue" data center and a pending lawsuit by the Attorney General regarding its energy agreement approval.
Tucson Electric Power (TEP)'s 15-year Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), a crucial energy planning document, is drawing criticism for its lack of transparency. Pima County, the City of Tucson, and the Sierra Club notably refused to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to access TEP's energy modeling data, citing concerns over confidentiality terms that obscure details on resource-intensive projects like data centers.
The IRP process, which outlines TEP's power generation strategy, has become a focal point due to community backlash against the "Project Blue" data center. Stakeholders, including the "No Desert Data Center Coalition," are actively opposing data center developments in Southern Arizona, arguing against their significant electricity and water demands in a rapidly heating and drought-prone region. The coalition has declared, "no electricity should be going to hyperscale data centers in the Sonoran Desert."
Further complicating matters, Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a case challenging the Arizona Corporation Commission's (ACC) approval of the energy agreement between TEP and Project Blue, with oral arguments scheduled. The transparency debate also extends to TEP's request for a 13% rate increase, which the ACC is expected to vote on in November. The ACC, which reviews and acknowledges IRPs, is currently reviewing its IRP rules for possible revisions, including future stakeholder participation, with a public workshop planned for October.