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Democrat
Candidate for Corporation Commission
Phone: (520) 249-9376
Email: paulnewmanaz@gmail.com
Website: www.paulnewmanaz.com
Twitter: @PaulNewman2012
177 W 20th St, Apt 3, Tucson, AZ 85701.
(Mail: 1200 W Washington, 2nd Flr, Phoenix, AZ 85007)
Age: 58. (02/08/54, Jersey City, NJ).
Arizona since: 1987.
Occupation: Cochise County Board of Supervisors, 2001-2008; attorney, private practice.
Marital: Single.
Religious preference: Jewish.
Education: J.D., California Western School of Law, 1986; M.A., public administration; M.A., judicial administration, University of Southern California, 1979; B.A., behavioral & social science, University of Maryland, College Park, 1976.
Political experience: Candidate, Cochise County Bd of Supervisors, 2004; candidate, Cochise County Bd of Supervisors, 2000; Democratic nominee, AZ Corporation Commission, 1998-1999.
Legis exp: House 1993-1998.
Memberships: Did not respond.
Interests: Solar energy, electricity and gas issues, history, literature, sports, great food and movies.
Political influence: There are a number of politicians I admire, including California Rep. Henry Waxman, Arizona’s own Alan Stephens, my former legislative colleague John Loredo, Art Hamilton and others.
Background & experience: I’ve been doing the job for three and a half years now and understand these complex and critical issues much more deeply. I came in with a good understanding of issues such as water, building codes, state v. county v. city jurisdiction, and administrative law, which helps a lot. We are here to serve the public, and I’ve submitted dozens of amendments designed to increase transparency, help our fledgling solar industry, reduce pollution, recognize the real value of clean energy, encourage water re-use and conservation, encourage energy efficiency, and allow the public more access at the ACC. I’ve asked tough questions on nuclear, pipelines, and pollution.
Top priority: I believe that we need to look at how to incentivize utilities to increase solar, such as rate-basing solar. We should raise the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff (REST), which is far below our neighbors. When you consider that solar has zero fuel costs, we are reducing risk of future increases. Since Arizona gets over 30% of its electricity from natural gas, our gas bills could literally double within a year, as they did from 2007-2008. Some states, such as Colorado, have REST increases of 2%, which is less than the cost to put emissions controls on coal plants.
Role of Legislature: The Legislature can play a key role in policies such as building and appliance codes or commercial property assessed clean energy, which allows the cost of solar to be put into property taxes. Arizona imports 90% of our fossil fuels for electricity. What does this mean when the cost of natural gas and coal increases? Hawaii imports all its fossil fuels, and thus passed state legislation requiring that all new buildings be fitted with solar hot water. Hawaii dominates the U.S. domestic solar hot water market. Arizona companies are making solar hot water panels and shipping them to Hawaii! Why use coal and natural gas to heat up water, when we could use the sun?
Privatization: We need a better system for coordinating the plethora of small, mom and pop water companies in Arizona. In many cases, I believe it is appropriate for the Commission to consolidate water utilities in order to bring more reliable service and less pass-through costs to consumers. It does not make sense for the Commission to regulate hundreds of water companies, each with a few dozen customers.
Control costs: I believe that we need to include risk in the cost of electricity. Although the cost of filtering out harmful pollutants such as mercury and acid rain is high, the benefits are far higher: 30 times the cost! The days when the “solution to pollution was dilution” are over. The coal ash spill in Tennessee in 2008 cost TVA ratepayers an astounding $1.2 billion. The old rules are breaking down. In the past, we assumed that the ‘hidden’ costs of fossil fuels would stay hidden. This is no longer true. We need to look at life-cycle costs for each and every source of electrical generation – no exceptions.
Campaign finance: public.
