Issue Position: Environmental Positions

Better Incentives for Solar Panel Users

Currently, our system is backwards: If a homeowner uses solar panels, the electric companies actually charge that person more. Eco-friendly consumers pay more money for conserving energy.

The utility companies' position is that solar panels are unfair, because they cause non-solar customers to pay more than their fair share for maintaining the power grid. My position is that utility providers should shoulder those costs; Arizona already ranks 18th in the nation in average retail price per kilowatt-hour, and our state doesn't have a responsibility to guarantee utility providers' record-setting profits.

When elected, I will introduce legislation to protect Arizonans who use clean energy technologies to reduce their footprint. We need to incentivize these technologies now and take advantage of our state's natural resources to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Strong Policies to Protect Our Water

Arizona is facing a natural resource crisis. According to the Bureau of Reclamation, we're facing a 52 percent chance of a water shortage in 2022, and we're nearing a renegotiation of the operational guidelines for the Colorado River.

When Lake Mead falls under the 1075-mark, our state will take the majority of delivery shortfalls while Californians get off relatively easy. Conservation efforts are imperative, and we need strong programs to sort out cuts to help us avert a disaster. That means electing lawmakers who don't have special interests to make tough decisions. I will fight for fair water conservation and work with both Democrats and Republicans to make sure that a deal gets done. I will also push to renegotiate our drought contingency plan to ensure that other states take on an equitable share of any shortages.

Support for Our National Parks

Parks like Petrified Forest and Saguaro bring millions of tourists to Arizona every year. They're an important part of our economy and culture, and we need to treat them appropriately.

I will support legislation that protects our parks, providing essential funding to repair damage, protect biodiversity, and maintain trails for tourists. These investments will help us keep our 22 national parks in pristine condition for future generations. I will also oppose any efforts to remove national park designations or to open these sites for drilling.

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