Special Election for Tucson Electric Power Project

The University of Arizona recognizes Tucson Electric Power's (TEP) need to enhance electrical grid capacity, redundancy and reliability, as well as the company's plans to accomplish those goals by developing the Kino to DeMoss-Petrie Transmission Line Project. This project provides potential infrastructure support to the surrounding businesses and homes and the Tucson campus and Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, all of whom have a vested interest in the overall progress of this proposed 138 kV (kilovolt) transmission line.

In addition to meeting future power demands of the University and the surrounding community, the proposed line would also support the eventual retirement of aging infrastructure and provide additional capacity needed to prevent outages that areas of Tucson have experienced during times of high demand and inclement weather, like monsoon season.

The increased capacity empowered by TEP's line upgrade, and its associated infrastructure, would also enable the City of Tucson to realize its ambitious sustainability goals, including the capacity to support charging many more electric vehicles, and an increased ability to distribute renewable energy across the service area. This new transmission line would increase Tucson's resiliency and adaptability in the face of the uncertainties associated with climate change and improve the quality of life in Tucson for many years to come.

On May 16 of this year, the City of Tucson is holding a Special Election with a single question on the ballot: Proposition 412. This proposition is the new, 25-year franchise agreement between TEP and the city, on the development of the Kino to DeMoss-Petrie Transmission Line Project. For more information, check the voter guide online.