SRP's Santan add-on needed

Our chance to avoid a California-style crisis

© The Arizona Republic
Editorial, Jan. 25, 2001

There is no way all the political and economic forces that came together to create the current California energy crisis could similarly align themselves in Arizona. It's just not possible to repeat all the market manipulation mistakes made there.

But it is not out of the realm of possibility to have an Arizona electricity crisis largely of our own making. One of the biggest mistakes we could make is to not prepare adequately for future power needs by creating enough new generation of electricity.

That mistake can be avoided, in part, with approval of the Salt River Project's request to expand its Santan facility in Gilbert.

On Friday, the Arizona Power Plant and Transmission Line Siting Committee will continue an already lengthy discussion on whether to approve the SRP's request to add an 825-megawatt plant to an existing 300-megawatt facility. A final recommendation is expected next month.

The committee has shown great empathy to residents who live near the plant. It listened to their concerns during an extraordinary 17 days of public testimony on this proposal.

Some of the small but vocal opposition to this project has produced important concessions that the SRP is willing to make. Chief among those conditions of approval are about $20 million in improvements to streets, screening materials and landscaping to diminish the physical presence of the plant, and community amenities such as equestrian trails and other paths.

The SRP promises also to do its part in avoiding a California-style power shortage by giving its customers and other local users first dibs on power from the Santan. This is a facility needed to help meet Arizona's future power needs. It's not all excess generation to be sold on the market.

In addition to maintaining energy reliability, the Santan will pay an estimated $100 million in taxes over 21 years, with about two-thirds of that revenue going to the Gilbert Unified School District. That estimate does not include sales taxes from construction and operation of the plant.

If the siting committee understands the importance of energy reliability in Arizona, if it appreciates the generous conditions the SRP has proposed, and if it is able to see the balance between regional energy needs and neighborhood integrity, it will approve this project.

The Arizona Republic editorials represent the position of the newspaper, whose editorial board consists of Keven Willey, Phil Boas, Jennifer Dokes, Doug MacEachern, Joel Nilsson, O. Ricardo Pimentel, Robert Robb, Laurie Roberts, Linda Valdez, Ken Western and Steve Benson.