PHOENIX — Retired teacher and former Cave Creek councilperson, Shea Stanfield is clear about her goal if elected to the Arizona Corporation Commission: update the state's Renewable Energy Standards (RES).
"Our big goal is to take those RES rules--because they are on the plate at the Commission right now--and increase those. Increase the percent up to what all the other western states are doing," she said.
Stanfield, a Democrat says that would mean requiring utilities to sell 50% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% by 2045. Earlier this year Arizona Public Service (APS) pledged to reach 45% renewable energy and 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2050.
Stanfield doesn't buy it.
"It's just another way to manipulate the, I feel, to manipulate that the outcome of the election so that they end up with the majority perhaps, of Commissioners that will not regulate them once again. And they'll go back as business as usual," she said.
Stanfield is running with Clean Elections funding of $174,024 in public financing.
Another of her priorities is keeping the power and water on for those who get behind in payments.
"Rather than just sticking a paper note on the door and keep going back sticking paper notes on doors, how about social service contact the family or contact the individual? What's going on? How can we help?"
She says she also wants to create policies that support sustainable businesses around the state.
"We need to have them working for us and with us to create an Arizona that we all want to live in and can live in because it's changing very rapidly at this point," she said.
