By Tim Vanderpool Thanks to Arizona's reputation for rapid-fire power plant and line permits, our state is rapidly becoming a big, dirty power farm for California. Don't Waste Arizona. This whole trend is going in absolutely the wrong direction. By 2003, Arizona's new power plants could provide enough electricity for 20 million people, in a state where the population hovers between 5 and 6 million. Simple math tells you all this power isn't meant simply for home-staters.
Government officials say they're closely scrutinizing each new facility.
But critics of the building surge say utility companies will profit handsomely from California's shortage and other lucrative wholesale electricity markets, even while they pollute Arizona's air and drain its water. This energy juggernaut has dire implications for Southern Arizona in particular, as companies shove their way through the permitting process while the Bush administration's pro-energy industry stance still prevails. The power plant boom has also prompted at least three lawsuits against the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities. The legal action is meant to highlight that responsibility, he says. Arizona officials say they've already responded to the power boom by tightening review procedures for the new plants.