TEP Statement on the Defeat of Proposition 412

We’re disappointed that City of Tucson voters defeated Proposition 412, as it offered a collaborative response to important energy-related issues. We must now address those issues directly in ways that support affordable, reliable and increasingly sustainable energy for our community.

In the near term, TEP will resume development of a new 138-kilovolt transmission line to serve growing energy needs in central Tucson. We will work in consultation with area residents and stakeholders to identify the best route for the line, which will link our Kino and DeMoss Petrie Substations to a new substation near the University of Arizona.

We will be restarting our review of potential routes for the project through central Tucson. Because the line is urgently needed to maintain reliable service, we will seek to complete it by the summer of 2027 – the same timeline we hoped to achieve if Prop 412 had passed. Additional details will be provided soon to area residents.

Meanwhile, TEP will continue to operate under its current franchise agreement with the City of Tucson, which authorizes use of public rights of way for our local energy grid. We will once again seek approval of a new franchise before the current agreement expires in April 2026, as operating without a franchise could increase costs and reduce electric reliability for City of Tucson residents.

Finally, we will continue working with the City of Tucson toward an agreement to supply up to 100 percent renewable energy for city operations. We remain committed to helping customers achieve their clean energy objectives as we pursue our own plans for a cleaner, greener grid.