Arizona utilities on track to meet renewable energy goal

PHOENIX (AP) - Several Arizona utilities are poised to meet a goal of 6 percent of renewable energy use next year thanks to utility-scale and rooftop solar projects.

The Arizona Capitol Times reports that Arizona Public Service, Tucson Electric Power and UNS Electric all expect to reach or surpass the benchmark by the end of 2016.

The Arizona Corporation Commission in 2006 approved a mandate that state-regulated utilities get 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025, with annual increases of roughly 1 percent.

The percentage required to come from renewable energy sources must include distributed generation sources such as rooftop solar power for both commercial and residential.

Tucson Electric Power, however, wants community-scale solar projects to count toward the distributed generation requirement.