The Scientist Rebellion South-West Chapter invites you to take part in our campaign against Arizona’s Public Service (APS) for its significant dependence on fossil fuels and its ongoing profit gained from deadly heat waves and price gouging, which disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of our society. In collaboration with a coalition of organizations, including Extinction Rebellion PHX, Dine C.A.R.E, Sierra Club Grand Canyon, and Third Act AZ, we are launching an initiative that calls on APS to stop its role in exacerbating the climate crisis. Arizona deserves better. Our children deserve a livable future.

2023 was the deadliest year on record, with extreme temperatures devastating Phoenix, according to official figures. A final heat surveillance report showed that least 579 people lost their lives in Phoenix, with senior citizens accounting for one-third of the casualties and at least 45% of people who died were unsheltered and sleeping outside.
Meanwhile, Arizona’s Public Service (APS) company saw a significant surge in profits. Pinnacle West Capital Corp., APS’ parent company enjoyed a 22% boost in profits in the third quarter of 2023. This came after, Regulators in Arizona Public Service’s approved an order to raise customer bills, leading to the average residential customer paying nearly 11% more per kilowatt hour last summer than the previous summer. This profit increase was thanks to the record summer heat and increase in natural gas.

Intro to APS Campaign: Why we are here (backgrounder)

Arizona’s Public Service (APS) heavily relies on fossil fuels despite climate science recommendations and widespread acknowledgement of the urgent need of transition. According to a new filing which guides how the utility will generate electricity for the next 15 years, fossil fuels will continue to comprise half of APS’ energy resources. According to the Western Resource Advocates, APS states that its resources will include 65% clean energy resources – including nuclear power – and 45% renewable resources by 2030. 

Nuclear and hydro power cannot be considered renewables. Hydropower dams are ecological nightmares for riparian communities, and the benefits of decommissioning them can be seen in the salmon runs of the Pacific Northwest. As well, the increasing aridity in the West from climate change will render hydro power unpredictable and could even render it useless. Nuclear is not renewable since the fuel is finite, must be mined at severe expense to the environment (ask the Diné about their experiences with uranium mining in their lands) as well as produces waste that will be dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years.

APS: Serve Us, Don't Kill Us -- Listen to the science. Renewable energy & climate justice now.
APS current51% clean claim of APSbreaks down as follows:
  • 10% Solar
  • 7% Hydro
  • 20% Nuclear
  • 14% Demand Side Management (DSM) – DSM includes things like energy efficiency, ie energy that mightbe consumed if equipment was not replaced by more efficient equipment

Nuclear is not carbon-free and it is not renewable. If you remove the DSM energy from the denominator APS gets 19% energy from renewables (including hydro) today. 

In other words, APS ‘clean energy’ claim is greenwashing. 

APS has also been profiting off Arizona’s deadly heat waves through price gouging. Arizona is one of the only states that remains as the exception to ban or even regulate price gouging. The absence of such regulations means that during times of crisis or extreme demand (as can be during heat waves) businesses in Arizona like APS can increase their prices without legal constraints, leading to higher costs for consumers. This affects vulnerable communities disproportionately. For example, final numbers for 2023 showed that 645 people lost their lives due to heat-related events in Phoenix , with senior citizens accounting for one-third of the casualties and at least 45% of people who died were unsheltered and sleeping outside. Meanwhile, Arizona’s Public Service (APS) company saw a significant surge in profits.

The utility’s continued reliance on fossil fuels amidst the growing climate crisis will only result in more increased price gouges and volatile electricity costs, lethal heat waves, droughts and wildfires. 

“The scientific evidence has been clear for over a century. The climate is changing, and humans are the cause. We can choose to stop this change, and work to ensure we have a livable planet for this and future generations”

Ken Sweat, Teaching Professor in the School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences at ASU West Valley