SIERRA VISTA – Nestled between the Cochise Stronghold and the mighty Chiricahuas is one of rural Arizona’s biggest economic engines: the Apache Generating Station. Powering the most remote parts of our state, Apache also represents the livelihood for over 300 residents who live in Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, and Santa Cruz Counties. These well-paying jobs and the low cost of coal-powered energy that rural Arizona enjoys are now at risk by the crushing weight of endless federal regulation.
Jennifer and I raised our five children in rural Yavapai County–at the headwaters of the Verde River. We know that jobs are hard to find out here. I’ve met thousands of folks in rural Arizona who share the same struggle, and the last thing we need is Washington, D.C. making it harder to live, work, and raise a family out here.
When the federal government looks at Apache – which I have been fortunate enough to visit as an Arizona Corporation Commissioner – it sees a smoke stack. However, to me and other Arizonans, Apache is more than that – it’s the lifeblood of southeastern Arizona. But does Washington care or understand that? Absolutely not.
Just last year the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) power plant emissions regulations because the EPA didn’t think about the price tag of their regulations. For Apache, the EPA proposed an emission regulation that would have cost over $200 million dollars. Thankfully, Apache’s operator came up with an alternative solution that achieves the same goal for only $30 million dollars. In either case, you, the customer ends up shouldering the EPA surcharge on your monthly power bill to pay for these federal mandates. Local businesses, schools, senior citizens and families who rely on these EPA-targeted power plants are the ones to suffer the financial burden of decisions made thousands of miles away.
Federal government bureaucrats have been waging a silent war against rural America for decades. It is clear that the war is no longer silent. They have targeted and attacked our miners, our growers, our health care, and our way of life. They attack the electric cooperatives that are synonymous with our rural communities. We cannot expect D.C. urbanites to understand that out here, in rural Arizona, we look out for each other. We care for each other. We know that at the end of the day all of us are in this together.
Dr. Robert Carreira, the director of the Center for Economic Research at Cochise College, submitted a statement to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Clean Power Plan. He said that if the EPA closes Apache there would be exceptional harm and devastation to the county’s economy. Since 2008 Cochise County has lost 5,400 jobs and the current unemployment rate rests at 7.2% percent, higher than the state and national averages. In Benson, Arizona, where Apache is located, the unemployment rate is even higher – a staggering 20% percent.
In the event that the Apache station is forced to comply with the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, each customer would be charged an additional $223 dollars per year. If Apache closes, hundreds of families and businesses would be out of work. Can you imagine what an additional $223 dollars per year – or massive job losses – could do to Cochise County? It would cripple our communities. But is anyone in D.C. listening to you? Again, no.
As your Corporation Commissioner I make it my mission to not only deal with matters associated to water and electric, but also to protect and serve our hard-working, tax-paying citizens. I want to ensure that our rural communities like those in Cochise County will not be devastated by Washington’s carelessness. I want to keep telling the federal government these stories – our stories. I want to ensure that the EPA understands the total cost of their textbook solutions. As the only Commissioner from rural Arizona, I want to continue to be your voice on the Corporation Commission which is why I am asking for your vote this November.
Prior to his appointment to the Arizona Corporation Commission, Tobin was appointed by the Governor to serve as director of the Arizona Department of Insurance in October 2015. In addition, he was appointed acting director of the Arizona Department of Financial Institutions. Prior to those appointments, Tobin served as director of the Arizona Department of Weights and Measures, helping consolidate the agency, reducing costs and improving consumer services and protections. Commissioner Tobin was a long-time member of the Arizona House of Representatives, representing rural Arizona from 2006 to 2014. He was Speaker of the House from 2011 to 2014. Prior to his Speakership, he served as the House Majority Leader and Majority Whip.
