Arizona’s utility commission slashed just transition assistance for tribes
The Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe will receive significantly less funds to assist in economy after the end of coal.
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BACKSTORY
When the Navajo Generating Station near Page, Arizona, shuttered in 2019, it was a victory for the environment and for human health. But it was also an economic calamity: Thousands of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue were lost (“Life after coal,” 02/01/21). So when Arizona Public Service, a utility company, pledged $144 million in just transition funds for the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe and other affected communities, it was seen as a big win.
FOLLOWUP
In November, the Arizona Corporation Commission, the state’s public utilities commission, slashed the amount of funding APS could give tribes from ratepayer funds. “The ACC has failed to use this opportunity to provide a Just Transition for communities that have shouldered the enormous cost of mining and burning coal here in Arizona,” said Nicole Horseherder (Diné), founder of Tó Nizhóní Ání, a grassroots organization, in a statement. The tribes and nearby communities will now see around $40 million in assistance.
Jessica Kutz is an assistant editor for High Country News. We welcome reader letters. Email her at [email protected] or submit a letter to the editor. See our letters to the editor policy.
