On February 22, the ACC issued a Notice of Inquiry establishing a more formal effort to address the series of questions and issues raised by Commissioner Tobin’s proposed “Arizona Energy Modernization Plan” filed in January 2018. For reference, Commissioner Tobin’s plan includes an 80% by 2050 clean resource standard, a new “clean peak” target, and a 3,000 MW by 2030 energy storage mandate. After Tobin’s plan was filed, other ACC regulators raised concerns about the costs and benefits of the proposal.

The Notice of Inquiry requests comments by April 23 on the following topics:

• Changes that are occurring in the energy arena and how to evaluate those changes.
• The need for a comprehensive energy plan to guide future, critical decisions related to energy.
• The extent to which the existing RPS and energy efficiency rules may need to be revised.
• Forest and biomass issues in Arizona (i.e., wildfire management and ties to energy production).
• EV infrastructure within the state.
• The role of emerging technologies such as energy storage.
• The nexus between generation planning and transmission planning.
• How to best conduct a review of utility energy planning given the changing dynamic of the industry.

A further list of specific questions addresses each of these topics in great detail, addressing issues such as costs and benefits, policy structure, and feasibility.