Arizona SRP Board Sees Historic Clean Energy Majority After Turning Point Campaign Falls Short

Clean Energy Slate Wins Control of Salt River Project Power Board

The Salt River Project board has seen a historic shift in its over 120-year history as a clean energy slate now holds an eight to six majority, signaling a dramatic change in how Arizona's largest utility will be governed.

Turning Point Action, the conservative group that spent millions on the election, fell short of its goal despite launching an unprecedented localized campaign to prevent a pro-renewable energy outcome.

The new board composition will have significant implications for energy policy decisions and customer rates across the utility's service territory, which includes Chandler, Scottsdale, Goodyear, Peoria and other Valley communities.

Turning Point's Conservative Campaign Defeated

Tyler Bowyer, a Turning Point executive, declared victory in posts on X despite the group falling short of its original goal.

"Democrats had told donors this was the inevitable year they would win President and Vice President of SRP and control the agenda. They failed massively with a huge turnout," Bowyer stated.

"The ballot chasing works!"

But political consultants and energy experts say the results show voters are becoming disillusioned with both the Turning Point brand and the federal governments energy policy agenda.

"Turning Point made this election about them," said independent consultant Chuck Coughlin. "It is a very poor time to be associated with the president with his poll numbers where they are, and they became the turnout mechanism."

The normally-quiet utility race was dominated by Turning Points get-out-the-vote efforts, which began in the summer of 2025, and its seemingly endless resources.

Turning Point Held Key Leadership Positions

Despite the clean energy victory, Turning Point successfully held on to the boards president and vice president seats, along with two of the seven other board seats up for grabs this year.

As president, Chris Dobson will set the boards agenda, but his vote will still be part of the minority. Barry Paceley will serve as vice president in a non-voting capacity and will primarily fill in for Dobson in case of any absences.

Aspmund Johnson, executive director of the Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association, noted that Dobson is not exactly known in the energy space as an anti-Green New Deal extremist.

"(Turning Point is) acting like a Donald Trump person won," Johnson said. "(Dobson) is a moderate, he has developed wind projects on his own land, he spoke at my solar conference two years ago."

"The guy is not like a fringe, right-wing guy," Johnson said.

Energy Concerns Drive Voter Turnout

Autumn Johnson, the executive director of the Arizona Solar Energy Industries Association, noted that the April 8 results were nothing short of miraculous, as it marks the first time the SRP board has had a pro-renewable energy majority.

"This is probably the first election in my lifetime when energy would probably make somebody ranking list of the things they care about," Johnson said.

Two seats on the states other utility oversight board, the Arizona Corporation Commission, are also up for grabs this year. Johnson said the SRP results should put those candidates four on the Republican side, including two incumbents, and two on the Democratic side on notice.

The Arcane Nature of SRP Elections

SRP is a nonprofit subdivision of the state that provides water and power to more than 2 million people throughout the Valley. While the states other major utilities are regulated by the Arizona Corporation Commission, SRP is regulated by a board made up of landowners within its service territory.

SRP elections are uniquely arcane, thanks to a voting system created before Arizona was granted statehood, meaning only around 40,000 of the utilities 2 million customers can weigh in on its leadership.

The utility is regulated by two organizations, the Salt River Valley Water Users Association and the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District. Only landowners can vote in SRP elections and only some of those eligible voters can vote in both association and district elections.

Landowners are entitled to a certain number of votes based on acreage, except in the case of the districts at-large board members who are elected under a one-landowner, one vote system.

Voters elect a president and vice president to oversee both the association and district. Ten board members and 30 council members are elected to oversee the association from SRPs 10 voting areas, while 14 board members and 30 council members are elected to oversee the district.

Foreshadowing November Elections

Johnson said the SRP results could foreshadow the results of contests set to take place in November.

"People waiting two and a half hours in line to vote for a utility governance board should make people pretty concerned about the amount of fervor that is going to be around the November election," Johnson said.

Independent consultant Coughlin said the Turning Point candidates had the right messaging, but it was overshadowed by their association with the group.

"Parts of the SRP campaign were super good, affordability, reliability, cost of power. They had solid messaging all around the deck," Coughlin said. "But it did not matter, because Turning Point became the issue, and that turned out gobs of people who have never voted in an SRP election ever."

A political action committee formed by local construction executive Jimmy Lindblom to support conservative energy candidates even admitted defeat.

"First, we congratulate Chris Dobson and Barry Paceley on their victories for President and Vice President," Lindblom said in a statement. "While we are encouraged by their leadership, we are disappointed by the results in several other board races."

Clean Energy Victory Marks First Renewable Majority

The April 8 results marked the first time the SRP board has had a pro-renewable energy majority in its over 120 year history. Johnson attributes it to a growing concern over soaring utility bills.

"This is probably the first election in my lifetime when energy would probably make somebody ranking list of the things they care about," Johnson said.