It’s been more than a decade since the Arizona Corporation Commission approved the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff, requiring Arizona utilities to generate 15 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2025.

The chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission wants to double the state’s renewable energy standards, which dictate how much energy utilities must generate from renewable sources like wind and solar.

All eyes on Arizona as formal energy hearings begin

At the heart of Arizona’s battle over solar net metering systems is whether utilities can balance solar energy with the cost of maintaining the grid that delivers electricity to all users.

Legislation aimed at barring the Arizona Corporation Commission from adopting renewable energy standards that are more stringent than what is currently in place is an unconstitutional power grab by lawmakers, the Commission’s lead attorney says.

A bill that critics said would threaten the future of Arizona's fledgling solar-energy industry has died after its sponsor announced Feb. 25 that she was withdrawing it.