SB 1385 would add a new section to Arizona law requiring electric distribution utilities to obtain at least 50% of the electricity they generate from renewable energy resources by January 1, 2036. The bill defines renewable energy resources as self-replenishing energy sources and specifically includes solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, and biofuel energy.
The measure is a statewide renewable electricity standard aimed at shifting utility generation portfolios toward cleaner energy sources over the next decade. It would apply to electric distribution utilities in Arizona and create a statutory benchmark for renewable generation that utilities would need to meet by the 2036 deadline.
Impact
If enacted, SB 1385 would amend Title 40 of the Arizona Revised Statutes by adding section 40-207 and imposing a new renewable generation requirement on electric distribution utilities. The bill would directly affect utility planning, procurement, and generation mix decisions, and it could influence investment in renewable infrastructure and long-term compliance strategies across the state’s electric sector.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee testimony or vote history in the provided materials, so no formal support or opposition can be measured from the legislative record here. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal reflects a policy preference for expanding renewable energy use and decarbonizing utility generation, but the available context does not show how lawmakers or stakeholders reacted.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or votes. In general, a mandate of this kind could raise questions about utility compliance costs, reliability, rate impacts, and the feasibility of reaching a 50% renewable threshold by 2036, but those issues are not explicitly raised in the available legislative history.