>> NEXT ON ARIZONA HORIZON, THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS CAN NOW GET I.D.ES NEAR DOWNTOWN PHOENIX AND A NEW WIND FARM IS SAID TO OPERATE IN NORTHERN ARIZONA.

THOSE STORIES AND MORE NEXT ON ARIZONA HORIZON.

WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON.

I'M FILLING IN FOR TED SIMONS.

FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS LAWYERS ARE WORKING ON AN AGREEMENT FOR HIS SURRENDER IN CHARGES IN FULTON COUNTY GEORGIA.

TRUMP AND THE OTHER 18 PEOPLE IN A RICO CONSPIRACY CASE HAVE UNTIL AUGUST 25th TO SURRENDER IN FULTON COUNTY.

EARLY INDICATIONS THAT A DATE IS NOT SET YET FOR TRUMP TO TURN HIMSELF IN BUT A DATE FOR NEXT WEEK.

FANI WILLIS HAS ASKED FOR A MARCH 4th, 2024 DATE.

ONE OF THOSE CHARGED IS HIS FORMER LAWYER, RUDY GIULIANI, SAID TO BE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY BECAUSE OF LEGAL BILLS.

HE SAYS LEGAL ISSUES HAVE LEFT HIM BROKE AND HE FACES $90,000 IN SANCTIONS FROM A DEFAMATION CASE AND A $20,000 A MONTH BILL TO PAY FOR STORAGE OF HIS ELECTRONIC RECORDS.

ONE OF HIS ATTORNEYS SAID IN COURT, THERE ARE A LOT OF BILLS THE FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR NOT PAYING.

HE LISTED A $3 MILLION APARTMENT HE OWNS FOR $6.5 MILLION.

DESPITE THE INDICTMENTS AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP, SUPPORT AGAINST REPUBLICANS IS STRONG AND IS GROWING WITH INDICTMENTS.

A NEW POLL AND THE PUBLIC AFFAIR'S RESEARCH REVEALS 63% WANT TRUMP RE-ELECTED, UP FROM 55% IN APRIL WHEN HE WAS FIRST INDICTED.

THAT SUPPORT WILL HELP HIM IN A PRIMARY ELECTION AND TRUMP DOES FACE VULNERABILITIES IN A GENERAL ELECTION WITH MANY EXPRESSING THEY'RE DUG IN AGAINST HIM.

DUG DUCEYDOUG DUECY IS CRITICIZING THE INDICTMENTS, CALLING THEM THE WEAPONNIZATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, END QUOTE.

HE SAYS TRUMP'S FATE SHOULD BE LEFT UP TO VOTERS.

>>> THIS IS DRAWING NATIONAL SCRUTINY OF PRESS FREEDOM AND SAID IN A NEWS RELEASE TODAY THAT HIS REVIEW FOUND, QUOTE, INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE EXISTS TO ESTABLISH A LEGALLY ESTABLISHED NEXUS BETWEEN THE CRIME AND THE PLACES SEARCHED AND SEIZED, END QUOTE.

IT WOULD HAVE COMPUTERS AND CELL PHONES TAKEN AND THE MARION RECORD MADE IT TO NEWSSTANDS AND SEIZED BUT NOT SILENCED WAS THE FRONT-PAGE HEADLINE.

>>> A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE HOMELESS I.D.

PROJECT AND ARIZONA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S MOTOR VEHICLE DIVISION ALLOWS PEOPLE IN NEED TO GET REPLACEMENT I.D.

WITHOUT TRAVELING TO THE OFFICE AND THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS CAN GET I.D.

'S WITHOUT GETTING SERVICES.

JOINING ME IS THE DIRECTOR AND THE DIRECTOR OF THE VEHICLE DIVISION TO DISCUSS THE NEW PARTNERSHIP.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

RICK, WHAT IS THE HOMELESS I.D.

PROJECT AND HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN AROUND?

>> 35 YEARS AND IN 1987, A PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER WENT AND LIVED ON THE STREET TO FIND OUT WHY HOMELESS PEOPLE WERE THERE AND HE FOUND OUT VIRTUALLY WAS EVERYBODY ON THE STREET LACKED A PIECE OF PLASTIC AT THAT TIME, THE STATE I.D.

OR DRIVER'S LICENSE AND YOU'RE STUCK.

YOU CAN'T GET A JOB AND YOU CAN'T GET HOUSING AND CAN'T GET ANYTHING.

>> LET'S DIG IN DEEPLY ON THAT AND SEEMS OBVIOUS BECAUSE SO MANY OF US, IT'S JUST SO EASY.

WE TAKE THESE THINGS FOR GRANTED.

HOW VITAL IS IT WHEN WE GO INTO HAVE A JOB INTERVIEW, BEING ABLE TO FIGURE OUT TO ADVANCE ONE'S SELF AND HOW BIG OF A DEAL IS THIS?

>> THEY CAN NOW END THEIR HOMELESSNESS AND TAKE THAT NEXT STEP AND WITHOUT THAT, THEY CAN'T.

YOU USED THE WORD, "OBVIOUS" AND IT'S OBVIOUS TO US WHEN WE NEED IT.

WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED AND I DON'T THINK ABOUT IT UNTIL I HAVE TO PRODUCE IT TO GET SOME SERVICE.

SO WE DON'T THINK ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS NOT HAVING AN I.D.

AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN HOMELESS.

WE THINK ABOUT SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE THERE BY CHOICE AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE THERE.

MANY PEOPLE ON THE STREET AND HOMELESS ARE STUCK BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT I.D.

>> HOW DID ADOT GET INVOLVED TO MAKE THIS MORE CONVENIENT TO HAVE ON THE ACTUAL HUMAN SERVICE'S CAMPUS, THE ABILITY FOR FOLKS TO TAKE CARE OF I.D.

'S RIGHT THERE?

>> THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME PARTNERSHIP FOR US.

I MEAN, I THINK WE HAD OUR FIRST CALL FIVE YEARS AGO YESTERDAY TO SIT DOWN AND START DISCUSSING THIS.

IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WE DO AS AN AGENCY FOR OUR CITIZENS IN THE STATE, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS TO PROVIDE I.D.

WE PROVIDE IDENTIFICATION.

AND THIS WAS A PLACE WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD MORE THAT WE COULD DO.

WE HAD MORE THINGS WE COULD DO.

WE WERE WORKING ON WAYS TO IMPROVE THAT OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND AS WE'VE LOOKED AT THINGS, WE'VE BUILT CAPACITY WITHIN OUR SYSTEM.

YOU THINK BACK SEVERAL YEARS AGO, EIGHT YEARS AGO WHEN I STARTED, IT WAS OVER AN HOUR WAIT AT AN MVD AND NOW 20 MINUTES AND TOTAL EXPERIENCE TIME AND THAT'S CREATED A GREAT CAPACITY FOR US, TO DO IMPORTANT PROJECTS LIKE THIS.

>> RICK, HOW BIG OF A DIFFERENCE HAS IT MADE SO FAR?

>> WELL, IN THE FIRST WEEK, WE HELPED 150 PEOPLE AND THAT WAS IN FOUR DAYS AND WE DO A LOT OF DOCUMENTS OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.

LAST YEAR, WE PROVIDED 12,000 DOCUMENTED AND EIGHT THOUSAND WERE STATE I.D.'S.

I THINK WE WILL GET UP TO THAT EIGHT THOUSAND ANNUALIZED CAPACITY, MAYBE EVEN TEN THOUSAND WITH THIS NEW SERVICE.

THE BIG BENEFIT OF THE SERVICE IS FOR THE CLIENTS.

YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO TWO WEEKS AGO, IF SOMEBODY CAME TO SEE US, THEY WERE IN THE SYSTEM AND WE COULD GET A REPLACEMENT I.D.

FOR THEM AND WE WOULD GIVE THEM A VOUCHER TO PAY FOR THE I.D.

AND A BUS PASS WITH A PROMISE OF A 45-MINUTE BUS RIDE.

THAT'S TOUGH TO DO WHEN YOU'VE BEEN ON THE STREET.

SO NOW, INSTEAD OF A 45-MINUTE BUS RIDE, IT'S A TWO-MINUTE, LESS THAN TWO-MINUTE WALK DOWN THE HALLWAY AND THE TEMPORARY I.D.

WITH THE FINAL PLASTIC I.D.

IN THE MAIL FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS.

>> HOW DOES MVD STAFF THIS SPOT?

>> IN TO CASE, AIN THIS CASE, IT'S A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE AND WE'RE LUCKY TO DO THAT AND ENOUGH DEMAND IT'S HOW MUCH AN EMPLOYEE WOULD DO IN ANY OTHER OFFICE AND THAT'S VERY FORTUNATE AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT, WELL, THAT'S GREAT FOR STAFFING THIS PLACE AND HOW DO WE EXPAND THIS TO BEYOND THIS TO PLACES WHERE WE WILL NOT HAVE THAT SAME CAPACITY AND STAFF AND WE HAVE GOOD IDEAS TO SEE THEM BEFORE IT.

>> WERE YOU LOOKING AT THE QUESTIONS BEFORE?

HOW DOES ONE EXPAND THIS PROGRAM AND WHAT ARE THE AMBITIONS TO DO THAT?

>> I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD ASK THAT BECAUSE IT'S EXCITING WHERE WE'RE HEADED.

YOU KNOW, HERE IN THIS CASE, WE HAVE THIS PERSON AND THIS WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A TEST RUN FOR US.

WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO DO THIS?

IT'S VERY SUCCESSFUL.

I MEAN, WE'RE A COUPLE WEEKS IN AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.

I THINK AS WE LOOK FORWARD ON THIS, WE'RE SEEING HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY.

YOU KNOW, TELEMEDICINE HAS BECOME PRETTY STANDARD AND PEOPLE ARE USED TO INTERACTING THIS WAY.

WE'RE USING THAT SAME TECHNOLOGY NOW TO BEGIN TO LEVERAGE SERVICES LIKE THIS TO EXPAND IT SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ONE FULL-TIME DEDICATED PERSON TO A PLACE THAT MAY BE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT LEVEL OF COMMITMENT, BUT DEFINITELY WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT.

WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT POPULATIONS EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS.

ALTHOUGH THAT'S A GREAT CASE.

IT'S RURAL POPULATIONS THAT WILL BENEFIT FROM THIS.

>> RICK, YOUR FOCUS IS ON THE HOMELESS I.D.

PROJECT AND HOW EXCITING TO HEAR THIS IS NOT A PILOT PROJECT AND COULD RAISE OTHERS AROUND THE STATE?

>> I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM.

I'M OVER THE TOP AND ERIC AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT EXPANDING IN THE HOMELESS I.D.

PROJECT.

WE'VE DONE DOCUMENTS ON THE CAMPUS AND 25% OR 30% IN OUTREACH PROGRAMS ACROSS MARICOPA AND PIMA COUNTY.

SO THEORETICALLY, WE COULD PROVIDE THIS IN TUCSON AND MARICOPA COUNTY AND OUTSIDE OF THOSE MACES AS PLACES, AS WELL.

>> WHAT SORT OF TOOK THE PROCESS TIME TO GET TO THE RIGHT SPOT?

WERE YOU WAITING TO MAKE SURE THINGS CLICKED AS OPPOSED TO GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD?

>> A LOT OF THINGS HAVE TO COME TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS WORK, RIGHT?

WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT.

AND THAT TOOK TIME.

WE HAD TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT WE DID BUSINESS IN OUR OWN OFFICE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COULD SUPPORT THIS AND WE'VE DONE WELL AT THAT AND WE'RE PROUD OF THAT AND NOW, IT'S BUILDING THE TECHNOLOGY, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S WAYS TO GET THE CONNECTIONS TO THESE DIFFERENT PLACES.

AND WE'VE HAD OTHER OPTIONS AS WE'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH AND ESTABLISHING MECHANISMS TO WORK TOGETHER.

I WOULD SAY THE CULMINATION AND IT'S NOT.

IT'S THE PEAK OF WHERE WE'RE AT AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

>> THIS PART OF THE IT HAS NOT BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR ALL THAT LONG AND A FEW WEEKS.

>> IT'S BEEN A DREAM FOR THAT LONG, ABSOLUTELY.

>> SO NOW THAT IT IS A REALITY, YOU KNOW, I REALLY WANT TO ASK YOU, ARE THERE ANY SUCCESS STORIES YET, FOLKS THAT YOU CAN REALLY TELL THAT IT'S MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES ALREADY?

>> WE HAVE HAD PEOPLE JUST WHO HAD BEEN IN OUR OFFICE BEFORE THAT COULDN'T MAKE THAT 45 MINUTE BUS RIDE AND FOUND OUT THAT WE HAVE MVD DOWN THE HALLWAY AND JUST EXTATIC.

GETTING AN I.D.

ALLOWS YOU TO, RIGHT, AND THE NEXT STEPS ARE UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL.

FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, SUCCESS IS GETTING SOMEONE A DOCUMENT AND SUCCESS EMPOWERS TO TAKE THAT NEXT STEP AND IN THE FIRST WEEK, WE DID 150 DOCUMENTS AND 150 SUCCESSES.

>> THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.

GOOD LUCK.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> COMING UP, WE'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT A WIND FARM IN NORTHERN ARIZONA.

>> IN GOES BACK HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND DO WE RECOGNIZE HOW RECENT THIS HISTORY IS AND DO WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S NOT ONLY IN OUR PAST BUT IT'S OUR HERITAGE AND IT'S OUR PRESENT?

.

>> A NEW WIND FARM IN NAVAJO COUNTIES TO BUILD 150 WIND TURBINES TO POWER AROUND 100,000 HOMES ANNUALLY AND THEY'RE MAKING A $680 MILLION CAPITAL IN THE INVESTMENT AND $267 MILLION ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR THE STATE.

JOINING US IS JIM O'CONNOR, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ARIZONA CORPORATION TO DISCUSS PLANS FOR THE NEW PROJECT.

WELCOME AND THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> MY PLEASURE.

>> I UNDERSTAND LAST MONTH, YOU WERE IN WINSLOW TO CHECK OUT THIS PROJECT AND WHAT DID YOU SEE?

>> COMMISSIONER KEVIN THOMPSON AND I WENT UP FOR THE DAY AND NIGHT AND OVERNIGHT AND WE TOOK OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DOUG CLARK TO CELEBRATE THE NEW AES FACILITY.

IT WAS COMING IN TWO PHASES, ONE AND TWO.

WE WENT UP TO HELP THE DEDICATION AND OR GOVERNOR WAS A PART OF THE ENTERAGE.

THEY MADE THEIR OWN NET-AFTER-TAX IN THIS WIND FARM.

PHASE ONE IS UP AND RUNNING IN THE REGIONAL AREA AND ADDITIONALLY, THE SECOND PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED BY NEXT SUMMER.

I HAD MY OPPORTUNITY TO STAND ON THE CORNER IN WINSLOW ARIZONA, SO IT WAS A GOOD TRIP.

[ Laughter ] >> DID YOU BRING YOUR ACOUSTIC GUITAR WITH YOU?

>> I DID NOT.

I SING IN THE SHOWER.

>> WHAT IS THIS THING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF WIND ENERGY IN ARIZONA?

DOES IT FROM V HAVE TO BE FROM YOUR STANDPOINT MAKING A MOVE LIKE THIS?

>> WE'RE DELIGHTED FROM THE CONSERVATIVE OR REPUBLICAN SIDE OF THE AISLE SEEING AN AT-RISK INVESTMENT.

NO BURDEN TO RATE PAYERS.

IF WE, THE COMMISSION, PUSH AND FORCE THE COMPANIES WE REGULATE, THAT WOULD BE CALLED A MANDATE.

WE ARE OBLIGATED TO HAVE YOU PAY FOR IT AS IN APS CUSTOMERS, FOR EXAMPLE.

AND WE DON'T LIKE -- WE LIKE THE PRIVATE SECTOR DOING WHAT IT DOES BEST AND AN ILLUSTRATION OF A MAGNIFICENT PIECE AND PHASES ONE AND TWO, GENERATING 457 MEGAWATTS OF POWER, WHICH IS WONDERFUL AND APS IS THE OFF-TAKE FOR ALL OF IT.

>> IT'S ENCOURAGING THEN THAT A PRIVATE COMPANY WOULD TAKE THAT STEP AND WITHOUT LOOKING INTO A CRYSTAL BALL IS THAT A GOOD SIGN FOR RENEWABLES IN THE STATE TO BENEFIT THE COMPANY AND, PERHAPS, BENEFIT MY SOUTH OF THE BORDERSMYSTOCKHOLDERS.

>> THERE'S A GOOD ONE THAT ENGAGED IN NAVAJO AND PROVIDED 800 JOBS WITH THAT PROJECT, DIRECT AND INDIRECT, AND TAX BASE HAS RISEN AND THAT CATTLE RANCH WILL OPERATE AS A CATTLE RANCH WITH $105 MILLION WIND TURBINES ROLLING IN THE SKY.

BUT TECHNOLOGY, STATE-OF-THE-ART DELIVER IS EXCELLENT AND NO RISK TO RATE PAYERS AND NO BURDEN IN THAT AT ALL.

>> I'LL THROW AN SRP, TUCSON ELECTRIC, AND THESE ARE ALL UTILITIES THAT ARE MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION.

GENERALLY, DO YOU THINK -- OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S BEEN ABORIGINAL TOBORNE TOA MANDATE AND YOU DON'T SUPPORT THAT, BUT IS ARIZONA MAKING GOOD STRIDES TO RENEWABLES?

>> THE REST RULES, THE RENEWABLE RULES PUT INTO PLACE 15 YEARS AGO AND WE AS A COMMISSION EVERY FIVE YEARS REVIEW OR POLICY ON ALL OF THAT.

THE REST RULES CAME IN WITH A MANDATE FOR THE UTILITY COMPANIES TO HAVE 15% OF THEIR ENERGY PRODUCED BY RENEWABLESA YEAR AGO THIS SUMMER, THE CHAIRWOMAN, MARCUS PETERSON, HAD US DO A RE-EVALUATION OF A VERY UGLY CONTRACT WITH SILANA WHICH FORCED THE COMPANY AND THE PRIVATE COMPANY, APS INTO A 30-YEAR CONTRACT WITH SILANA.

WHEN YOU ENTER A CONTRACT, YOU LEGALLY OBLIGATE YOURSELF TO PAY A SET PRICE OVER THAT 30 YEARS.

AT THE TIME THE CONTRACT WAS EXECUTED, AGAIN, IT WAS 15 YEARS AGO AND A LOT MORE RISK AND SOLAR WASN'T QUITE AS WELL-KNOWN AND TECHNOLOGY WASN'T AS GREAT AS IT IS TODAY, BUT IN THAT ERA, APS AGREED TO BUY SOLAR POWER AND E LET'S CALL IT $12 A UNIT.

THE PRICE HAS BEEN UNDER $2 A UNIT, BUT APS AND THEREFORE APS'S RATE PAYERS ARE MONDATED, OBBLY GATEDOBLIGATEDTO PAY $2 AND THAT'S FORCING THAT AT THE EXPECT OF U YOU AND I'S RATE PAYERS.

AES MADE A $600 MILLION PLUS INVESTMENT AND HAPPY TO DO THAT AND TAKE THE RISK.

APS BUYS THE POWER OR DOESN'T BUY THE POWER AND APS DOESN'T MAKE A PROFIT.

>> APS, THE WIND FARM IS AN EXAMPLE OF THE WIND FARMWORKING?

>> EXCEEDINGLY WELL.

THEY PLAN ON DOING ADDITIONAL WIND FARMS THROUGHOUT THE STATE STATE ^.

IT'S GOOD INVESTMENT THROUGHOUT THE BOARD.

>> MOST OF ARIZONA BELIEVES RENEWABLES ARE GOOD BECAUSE OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES AND IS THIS AN ISSUE WHERE THE RIGHT AND LEFT CAN COME TOGETHER TO AT LEAST SAY RENEWABLES SET THE MARKET ASIDE IN SOME CASES AND REGULATION IN OTHER CASES?

>> LET ME REFRAIN THAT A DIFFERENT WAY.

SINCE JANUARY, WHEN I WAS ELECTED CHAIRMAN BY MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS, WE VOTED JANUARY THROUGH JUNE AND I DON'T HAVE THE JULY AND AUGUST STAT, BUT IT'S SIMILAR.

JANUARY THROUGH JUNE, WE VOTED ON 156 ITEMS AND 91% OF THE VOTES WERE 5-0.

WE'RE THE BUSINESS END OF GOVERNMENT.

EVERYBODY CAN ADD TWO AND TWO AND COME UP WITH FOUR.

SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT IDEA IDEOLOGICAL BARRIER.

THE POLITICAL SIDE OF THINGS BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO GO INTO A CAMPAIGN SEASON AND WE'LL HEAR ALL OF THE NOISE, BUT SMART REPUBLICANS LOVE SOLAR POWER AND LOVED WIND POWER.

WE LOVE COAL POWER WHEN YOU HAVE THE SCRUBBERS ON AND CHECKING THE POLLUTION AND YES, THERE WILL HAVE TO BE REGULATION.

BUT WHEN GOVERNMENT ACTS TO MANIPULATE THE MARKETPLACE RATHER THAN LET THE FREE MARKET DECIDE, SOMEBODY PAYS FOR IT AND IT'S WE, THE PEOPLE.

IN THE CASE OF THE UTILITIES, IT'S DISPROPORTIONATE BECAUSE IT'S RATE PAYERS OF ONE COMPANY OR ANOTHER PAYING FOR IT.

>> JIM O'CONNOR, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

>> MY AMERICA.

PLEASURE.

>> THAT'S ALL FOR TONIGHT'S EDITION OF ARIZONA HORIZON.

PLEASE ENJOY THE REST OF YOUR EVENING.

>> I HOPE YOU ARE APPRECIATING