The largest utility in one of the West’s reddest states wants to go carbon-free by 2050. 

Arizona Public Service has long invested in large-scale solar and batteries. But it has also poured tens of millions of dollars into electing friendly regulators and fighting distributed energy. Now it says it’s all in for zero-carbon electricity — even if the exact pathway to get there isn’t yet clear. 

Wasn’t APS investing heavily in keeping the Four Corners coal plant open longer? What happened? And how will this impact the way the utility starts planning its resource mix today? We'll discuss on this week's episode of The Energy Gang.

Then, Congressional Republicans say they’re getting serious about climate. They’ve got a new messaging bill. We’ll talk about what’s in it — and what’s not in it — and ask why they’re tackling the issue now.

Plus, we'll talk plug-in hybrids versus electric cars. Honda’s CEO says he thinks plug-in hybrids will dominate for a long time. What will the electric mobility transition look like? Will we jump straight to EVs, or will hybrids be a viable interim step for some automakers? 

Resources:

  • Greentech Media: Arizona Utility APS Commits to Carbon-Free Power by 2050
  • AZ Central: APS CEO Says Company Won’t Spend on Political Campaigns 
  • Politico: House Republicans Caught Between Trump and Young Voters on Climate Change
  • Axios: Elements of the GOP Plan
  • Inside EVs: What’s Better, a Plug-in Hybrid or a Fully Electric?
  • ExtremeTech: Did Honda’s CEO Say BEVs Make No Sense? Not Exactly

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