Arizona high court won’t hear energy rules challenge

The Arizona Supreme Court is letting stand lower court decisions that uphold the state’s requirement that regulated electric utilities get some of their power from solar and other renewable sources.

Without comment, the state high court on Tuesday refused to consider the Goldwater Institute’s appeal of an Arizona Court of Appeals ruling.

The institute had filed a suit challenging rules that the commission adopted in 2006 requiring utilities to gradually increase their use of renewable energy sources.

The Court of Appeals panel agreed with a Maricopa County Superior Court judge that the rules fall within the commission’s constitutional authority to set rates.