News > Solar wins big in the Arizona SRP election

Solar wins big in the Arizona SRP election

• Energy democracy & policy

June 23, 2026

Phoenix-area voters overcame unfair and arcane election rules to elect a pro-solar utility board this spring. Solar supporters educated their friends and neighbors about the importance of voting. As a result, one of the country’s largest public power utilities can now enact fair policies to help more of its customers benefit from solar energy.

Salt River Project (SRP) provides electricity and water service in metro Phoenix, one of the largest and fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country. 

For years, SRP has been unfriendly to rooftop solar and is planning new fossil fuel generation. These issues made this election especially consequential for SRP customers’ ability to go solar.

Unlike most elections, SRP’s voting system operates under an outdated acreage-based structure where votes are tied to land ownership. In simple terms: the more land you own, the more votes you get. One acre equals one vote. A quarter of an acre equals a quarter of a vote. If you live in SRP territory and are a renter, you have no say over how your utility operates.

SRP began as an irrigation district at the turn of the last century, designed to balance the water needs of area farmers. That purpose still shapes its charter today. As electrification spread, SRP took on power delivery as well. Then air conditioning arrived, and Sunbelt cities like Phoenix boomed. The result: an organization founded as a small irrigation district now supplies electricity to millions, yet still runs on its original voting system.

And that’s not all. SRP voters must sign up to request a ballot be mailed to them in order to participate. This system has historically kept participation extremely low, with many customers unaware the election even existed. SUN’s research found that during the previous election in 2024, only about 7,500 ballots were returned. This year, that number jumped to 36,000.

SUN Action’s Role

SUN Action, Solar United Neighbors’ C4 arm, focused its efforts on three districts where we endorsed candidates. Throughout the campaign, we talked with voters about why expanding rooftop solar would benefit solar and non-solar owners alike, and why new board leadership was needed to make SRP’s offerings more affordable and reliable.

The election also marked a milestone for SUN Action. This was our first electoral endorsement effort, and the outcome would directly shape the future of one of Arizona’s most powerful utilities.

We turned out our existing network of more than 1,000 SUN Action supporters who are also SRP customers. These were community members who had already engaged with our work around rooftop solar, energy affordability, and utility policy, and who understood the importance of this election. We also grew our base by more than 800 new supporters across the three districts.

SUN Arizona rural organizer, Lauren Taylor, was featured in three local television news stories about the SRP election, helping to amplify a race that usually gets little attention.

“This election showed what’s possible when people have the information and tools they need to participate. For years, decisions that affect people’s homes, bills, and future were made without most customers even knowing they had a voice. We were able to help more people understand what was at stake and make their voices heard.”

— Lauren Taylor, SUN Arizona rural organizer

Looking ahead

This is only the beginning. SRP’s voting system is still one of the most inaccessible in the state. The acreage-based structure and complicated ballot process make it difficult for many customers to participate in decisions that directly affect their monthly bills and their ability to go solar. SRP reports that approximately 700,000 eligible voters out of about 1.2 million total customers, meaning about 42% of customers are locked out of voting because they rent, run a business, or don’t own their property.

SUN Action will continue pushing for reforms that make participation easier and more equitable for all SRP customers. You can get involved too. If you live in SRP territory, contact your elected utility leaders and urge them to change SRP’s election rules. We will also keep building on what we learned in this campaign to support solar energy leadership and strengthen the connection between voters and the utilities that serve them.