Local First Arizona Stands with Arizona's Energy Future

A Statement of Support for the Arizona Energy Promise Taskforce Report & Recommendations

At Local First Arizona, we have spent more than two decades making the case that strong, resilient communities are built from the inside out. The businesses, farms, nonprofits and neighborhoods that make Arizona worth living in don’t just happen, they require intentional investment, thoughtful policy and leadership willing to bring everyone to the table.

Governor Katie Hobbs’ Arizona Energy Promise Taskforce has done exactly that.

The resulting report is a significant milestone, one that Local First Arizona helped shape. Its 31 consensus-driven recommendations reflect input from 36 members, including private-sector leaders, consumer advocates, tribal representatives, nonprofits, utilities, and state agencies. Kimber Lanning, Founder & CEO served on the Governor's Arizona Energy Promise Taskforce, and Vice President of Resiliency Programs Ginger Sykes Torres contributed to one of its working committees. Such rare and broad agreement among typically divergent stakeholders is a point of serious consideration, and one we are proud to support.

Here is why it matters to us, and to the communities we serve.

Energy is a Local Economy Issue that Impacts Us All

When energy costs rise, small businesses feel it first. When the grid is unreliable, local employers absorb the risk. When large energy users come to Arizona without being asked to engage with the communities that host their infrastructure, local residents and ratepayers bear the burden of that imbalance.

That is why we are particularly encouraged by the taskforce’s recommendation to require or incentivize large load customers, like data centers, to proactively engage with communities and invest in community-identified priorities. This is not a radical idea. It is a basic standard of good neighborliness, and it is long overdue.

Genuine Community Engagement Matters

We have seen too many projects arrive in communities without meaningful input from the people who live there. The taskforce's call for proactive engagement with a local priority framework that gives communities a real seat at the table reflects values Local First Arizona has championed for years. It also means recognizing rural and tribal communities as equal partners rather than overlooking them.

A Skilled Workforce, Built Here

Local First Arizona has always believed that economic strength begins with people. The taskforce’s overarching commitment to planning for the energy workforce of tomorrow, with a specific focus on ensuring the availability of skilled workers in rural and Tribal areas, speaks directly to our mission.

Arizona’s energy future should not be built solely on imported talent. It should create pathways for Arizonans across this state to train for, fill and thrive in the jobs this transition creates. We are committed to supporting that vision.

Distributed Solar, Efficiency and VPPs: The Local Economy of Energy

We are encouraged by the taskforce’s support for expanded distributed solar deployment, virtual power programs (VPPs) and energy efficiency as grid resources. These strategies aren’t just technical — they boost local economies. 

Rooftop solar keeps investment in the community. Homeowners build equity in their own energy production, utility savings are spent locally and the contractors installing the panels are small Arizona businesses, not out-of-state crews brought in for big projects.

Water: What Arizona Can No Longer Overlook

We appreciate that this taskforce did not look away from Arizona’s water issue. The recommendation to encourage transparent and responsible water use in energy project development is essential. Arizona’s water future and energy future are inseparable and are directly tied to Arizona’s economic future. Any energy plan that does not grapple seriously with water is incomplete, and we are glad this one does.

The Work Is Just Beginning

Governor Hobbs put it well: this report is just the start of the conversation. With 31 recommendations covering workforce, community engagement, distributed energy, permitting and new technologies, the real challenge now is implementation.

Local First Arizona is committed to ensuring that communities remain central, affordability is prioritized for small businesses and families, and success is measured by real benefits to Arizonans — not just numbers. We thank our fellow taskforce members for their dedication and expertise.

We appreciate Governor Hobbs and Director Maren Mahoney and the Governor’s Office of Resiliency for their leadership in bringing us together. And we look forward to the conversations ahead.

Arizona’s energy future should work for all Arizonans. This report is a meaningful step toward making that happen.