TUCSON, Ariz (KGUN). — Tucson Electric Power (TEP) has a franchise agreement with the City of Tucson that is set to expire in 2026. In April, we told you negotiations were happening. But at the council meeting on June 17, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said there was “inaction” from TEP.
“I am not going to tolerate this type of attitude from someone pretending to be a good partner,” Romero said during the study session.
Joseph Barrios is the spokesperson for TEP.
"We received a request to evaluate a draft at about 6:30 p.m., the evening before the meeting," he said in response. "We did inform the council that we would not have time to conduct a thorough review and provide feedback by the start of the council meeting the following day."
Overall, the comments made by the Mayor were surprising to TEP.
“We were disappointed by them. We feel they were unfair and inaccurate," Barrios said. "We had been negotiating with the city actively for a number of months.”
The franchise agreement allows the power company to use city streets and other public spaces for its electric grid. That means TEP doesn't need a permit for each individual project, which the company says keeps costs down. However, Barrios says it isn't necessary to have this agreement.
“Having one allows us to more efficiently build and maintain our equipment - ultimately, it relates to lower costs for our customers," Barrios explained.
TEP is still hopeful that they will be able to come to an agreement eventually.
“If it takes more time to get agreements in place that we all feel good about and comfortable about, that’s what we’re working towards,” Barrios said.
A public information officer for the City of Tucson explained: "It is my understanding that there is no ability for the item to be on the ballot in November."
The next possible election where voters can see the proposed plans for the franchise agreement could be in March of 2026, with discussions happening either in August or September before the Mayor and Council.
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
