Protest: Solidarity Across Borders for Just and Equitable Transition
Social Justice Co-operative NL and other supporters will gather outside of the Fortis Annual Meeting to urge the owner of subsidiary Tucson Electric Power (TEP) to prioritize assistance for Just and Equitable Transition (JET) funding for Navajo, Hopi and rural coal-impacted communities in Arizona and New Mexico.
WHAT:
Representatives from grassroots groups in the U.S. and Canada will hold a rally and press conference at the annual meeting of Fortis Inc. to urge the company and its American subsidiary, Tucson Electric Power (TEP), to provide Just and Equitable Transition support to coal-impacted communities in Arizona and New Mexico, including the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe, where they are shutting down coal-burning power plants that are no longer economic to run.
WHERE:
In front of the Holiday Inn St. John’s, 180 Portugal Cove Road, St. John’s, NL.
WHEN:
Thursday, May 5, 2022 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. NDT, with press conference commencing at 9:30 a.m.
ONLINE:
The press conference will also be streamed live on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/tonizhoniani
WHY:
TEP, like utilities across North America, is quickly transitioning its generating fleet from coal to cleaner and less expensive alternatives like wind and solar. TEP has already closed one power plant (Navajo Generating Station, the largest coal plant in the western U.S.), and is the owner or operator of three more that will close down this summer and over the next decade. Three of the four plants are located on or directly adjacent to the Navajo Nation.
However, while other utilities are doing their part to provide assistance to the isolated communities where the plants are located, TEP to date has made not any commitments to meet its corporate responsibility to support the Navajo, Hopi and rural coal-impacted communities in Arizona and New Mexico.
Not only do these Tribal Lands and communities rely on tax revenue from these plants for their schools, roads and public services, but thousands of Navajo and Hopi homes still currently lack access to electricity, running water, and the lands will need extensive environmental remediation to protect groundwater from pollution, among other things.
“The electricity and water that helped Arizona grow and prosper for the last 50 years was in large part due to the people and resources of Black Mesa,” said Jessica Keetso of the Navajo grassroots group Tó Nizhóni Ání. “Fortis shareholders need to understand the need for TEP to follow in the footsteps of other Arizona utilities that have already committed funding for a Just and Equitable Transition. This assistance would be a step toward reconciliation for the 50 years of injustice we’ve endured on Black Mesa while TEP and others exploited our land, water and resources. I traveled all the way to Newfoundland to request a meeting and urge Fortis to do the right thing.”
“Social, racial, and economic justice have no borders, and we are proud to stand in solidarity today to urge Fortis and TEP to fund a Just and Equitable Transition immediately,” said Rhys Maddigan of Social Justice Co-op NL. “As our world transitions to a clean energy future, we must not leave behind those who have sacrificed so much in the name of progress and corporate bottom lines.”
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About Social Justice Co-operative NL: https://www.sjcnl.ca
About Tó Nizhóni Ání: https://tonizhoniani.org
About Empowered Transition initiative: https://www.empoweredtransition.org
For more information, a report from the Empowered Transition initiative highlights the many hardships facing northern Arizona communities and urges immediate action from TEP to provide much-needed and long overdue support, which is the company’s ethical, corporate and moral responsibility.