Local opinion: Tucsonans deserve public power

Re: the April 23, 2023 article “Prop 412 means cleaner, greener grid.”

According to the American Public Power Association, “Over one in seven Americans are served by a public power utility.” In Arizona alone, we have over thirty public-owned utilities providing citizens with water, power, and even telecommunications services. Unfortunately, the City of Tucson currently cannot count itself as one of them. The Tucson Democratic Socialists of America are trying to change that.

While investigating the feasibility of transitioning to a public utility is already part of the city’s climate resilience plan, there is an inherent risk that Tucson Electric Power’s influence will lead to only a shallow study being conducted. In light of this, the Tucson DSA has decided to launch a petition to the Tucson City Council with one simple demand: that the study be rigorous and address the negative impact private utilities have had on our environments and wallets.

Some might wonder, is it really possible for people to take such a stand against Tucson Electric Power? And to those I can answer, they already have. Earlier this year, the public was asked to vote on Proposition 412, a measure that not only would have levied more fees on the average TEP customer but locked the city into another 25-year franchise agreement. In an April 23rd OpEd, TEP tried to frame the proposition as the next logical step in Tucson’s transition to a “cleaner greener” future. However, when looked at under scrutiny, it turned out to be nothing more than a glorified anti-competition and financial investment measure. Many advocacy groups took issue with this, and so did the voters, eventually leading to the proposition failing with a near-55% margin.

As Tucsonans, we deserve better. We deserve a power utility that actively works to keep consumer bills low, not to fill the coffers of corporate executives. We deserve a power utility that takes the concerns of our citizens to heart, not paying mere lip service to them. We deserve a power utility that is actually homegrown, not a subsidiary of a multinational Canadian mega-corporation. We deserve a utility that will recognize and implement the changes necessary to avoid the coming climate collapse.

The only way we can make this possible is if we as a people take control of the reins. Electricity is instrumental in almost every facet of modern life. Whoever controls the power, controls the people. For far too long, we have relinquished that power to those who only care of quarterly earnings reports, and yearly bonuses. It may be a daunting task, one that will take many years to get done. However, I believe that if we all band together, we can not only end TEP’s reign but create a better utility in its place.