Recent Articles from Yellow Sheet Report
Talk of an extinction level event is exaggerated
Talk of a “death spiral” for utilities or speculation about an existential threat from rooftop solar is off base, APS insists. John Hatfield, the utility’s VP of communications, told our reporter last week that the narrative about a battle pitting the utilities against rooftop solar is “compelling but false.”
You got it done, but it wasn’t fun
The Senate got tired of waiting for the House and unilaterally adjourned, sending the House into chaos, as the chamber scrambled to figure out what the Senate’s action meant for its remaining work.
APS seeks a ‘gradual’ 320 percent solar fee hike
Less than two years after the Corp Comm approved a small monthly surcharge on residential solar, APS is back, asking energy regulators to impose a 320 percent increase in the solar fee. In its application to the commission, APS said the hike is needed because the current $5 monthly surcharge on a typical 7-kilowatt solar system does not come close to solar customers’ fair share of maintaining th[...]
United weed stand, divided weed fall
One consultant familiar with the efforts to legalize recreational marijuana in Arizona told our reporter today that the schism among pro-legalization groups is much deeper than has been reported thus far.
Fracture in pot alliance leads to retaliation threats
The public fracture between marijuana legalization supporters last week prompted the executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project to threaten “to harm” the medical marijuana dispensary owned by the doctor who is leading the splinter group, which announced Friday that it will run its own ballot initiative.
Economy delivers good news for schools and teachers
Higher than expected sales-tax revenues and land-trust earnings have public-school leaders smiling for the first time in a long time. The Classroom Site Fund, which is earmarked mostly for teacher salaries, is projected to earn $47.4 million more in FY16 than in previous years.
A crack in the pot alliance
A new group is wading into the campaign to legalize recreational marijuana, creating a fracture in the campaign to place the question on the 2016 ballot. The new group, Arizonans for Responsible Legalization, registered as a political committee with the secretary of state’s office this afternoon (March 27).
A Faustian deal or a grand bargain
It’s no secret the Clean Elections Commission has enemies at the Capitol who have been seeking its destruction year after year, but CCEC Executive Director Tom Collins and attorney Joe Kanefield told commissioners today that there is an opportunity to reach a compromise.
Tucson Electric wants to pay less for solar energy
Arguing that solar customers don’t pay their fair share for its service, Tucson Electric Power today asked the Corp Comm to allow it to pay less for the excess energy produced by rooftop panels, which, if approved, would cut solar customers’ savings by about 22 percent per month for a typical system.
He is everything to everyone
Ducey seems to have managed to appease all sides of the Common Core debate in his speech yesterday to the Board of Education. Critics and supporters alike are pleased with the governor’s position, and have interpreted his remarks in ways that are most favorable to their cause, and are claiming the governor’s directives to the board as a victory.
How many times was that speech reviewed and replaced?
As he has done since launching his gubernatorial campaign last year, Ducey today walked a fine line on Common Core. He told the Board of Ed that he wants a comprehensive review of the controversial K-12 standards, but with an eye toward replacing portions.
You’ll need a black arrow, a wind lance and maybe $20M
As she mulls a run against McCain next year, Ward has become a topic of discussion in the national political press. Last week, conservative news website Breitbart declared it was “increasingly likely” that McCain would face stiff opposition from the right in next year’s primary.