Current Issues

In our April 2025 newsletter we alerted our members that Unisource Energy Services announced that it needed to build a new 138 kilovolt transmission line to connect the Kantor Station in Santa Cruz County (Nogales) to the regional electric grid in Pima County. The initial proposed route for the transmission line was down the west side of I19 and would mean installing 85’ “Mono Poles” to carry the power lines between Pima County and the substation in Nogales. Tubac residents became alarmed at the prospect of having these poles being installed on the west side of I19, creating a blight on our scenic vistas and they called on SCVCC to get

involved in expressing the community’s opposition to this route.

 The Council immediately recognized that installing 85’ mono poles in our west side mountains could cause much damage to our community, including harm to local wildlife

and beautiful vistas, and immediately took action. This included hiring legal counsel to write to Unisource with our community’s concerns. We also encouraged our members to attend open houses sponsored by Unisource and to write letters to show community unity in opposition to this route, and a proposed alternate route down the middle of highway 119. We encouraged members to advocate for installing the transmission lines on the existing poles in the mountains east of the Santa Cruz River. 

Unisource Listened! At an October 28, 2025, open house Unisource shared that they will be recommending to the Arizona Corporation Commission that the new 138 kilovolt transmission line be a “double circuit” configuration in which the new circuit will be installed on the existing transmission line structures that are east of the Santa Cruz River.

We remain vigilant and we are prepared to continue to advocate for this route as the Arizona Corporation Commission has to approve the route before it is finalized. Their decision is anticipated before the end of the year.