WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives David Schweikert (AZ-01) and Greg Stanton (AZ-04) introduced bipartisan legislation to keep energy costs low for Arizonans, help stabilize the state’s electric grid during peak demand, and boost the supply of affordable and reliable energy. This bill would help enable the exploration of constructing additional pumped-storage hydropower facilities in the Salt River reservoir system, which would ensure that central Arizona’s energy supply remains accessible and affordable to millions of customers throughout the region.

Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

To read the full text of the bill, click here.

“An all-of-the-above energy strategy is essential to meeting Arizona’s growing economic and household consumption demands,” said Rep. Schweikert.“We need a wide range of domestic technologies to ensure grid reliability and find ways to harness a diverse energy portfolio which isn’t overly reliant on foreign supply chains. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation that provides clarity for evaluating proposed pumped storage sites in Arizona’s First Congressional District.”

“Arizona’s population and our economy are growing rapidly–we need to make smart investments in our energy infrastructure to keep pace,” said Rep. Stanton. “This bipartisan bill will boost clean energy storage and improve reliability during peak demand, while lowering utility costs for Arizonans.”

“SRP supports and is appreciative of this legislation which will enable evaluation of proposed pumped storage sites for long-duration energy storage resources. This technology can store renewable energy generated during the day, and can provide that energy to customers throughout the night when renewable resources are ramping down. Based on projected customer growth and energy demand, there will be an increasing need to utilize reliable long duration storage,” said Salt River Project CEO & GM Mike Hummel.