At first glance, the Arizona Corporation Commission might seem like it has pretty much nothing to do with public health. But when you scratch the surface just a little, you’ll discover that the Commission does in fact influence public health.
- In Part I we discussed how the Commissioners’ rubber stamping of APS rate increases over the last couple of years is harming the social determinants of health.
- Part II covered how recent Commissioner decisions are disincentivizing rooftop solar.
- In Part III we covered how the AZ Corp Commission’s rubber stamping of methane gas rate increases are damaging public health.
This week we cover how the Commission’s decisions can have a direct impact on the air we breathe.
First things first, what is the ACC? They are the elected officials and staff who are tasked with regulating electricity, gas, water, and telecommunications. While that might sound pretty dry, the choices they make ripple out into our daily lives, especially when it comes to our health and air quality.
The type of energy the ACC promotes via their policy decisions can either help improve air quality or make it worse. When the commissioners make decisions to incentivize renewable energy sources like solar and wind, they’re doing us all a huge favor. These clean energy sources don’t spew out harmful pollutants. That means no soot, no smog – just pure, clean air.
But… when commissioners have the backs of the utilities that they’re supposed to be regulating rather than voters and ratepayers, they lead us down the path toward worse air quality. Legacy energy sources favored by many utilities like coal and natural gas are major polluters. They emit nasty stuff like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides. These pollutants can lead to smoggy skies and a host of health issues, from asthma to heart disease.
Continued reliance on fossil fuels means more pollutants in the air, more health problems, and higher healthcare costs. It’s like a domino effect – poor energy choices lead to poor air quality, which leads to poor health.
But, when the ACC pushes utilities to include more renewable sources of electricity by scrutinizing their sources and provide them financial and regulatory incentives to shift solar farms, rooftop solar, or wind turbines, they’re cutting down on these harmful emissions. This shift not only helps fight climate change but also means cleaner, healthier air for all of us.
It’s not just about clean air. The ACC’s decisions also have a direct impact on public health. Cleaner air means fewer respiratory issues, less heart disease, and a lower risk of some cancers. It means fewer sick days and hospital visits, and more people living healthier, happier lives.
So, the next time you hear about the ACC making a decision, remember it’s not just bureaucratic mumbo-jumbo. It’s about our health and the quality of the air we breathe.
Let’s keep an eye on their decisions and support the candidates who promote clean energy and a healthier future for Arizonans, our topic in Part V.