Most Valley residents know Salt River Project (SRP) as the provider that keeps the water running and the lights on. SRP serves about 1.1 million electricity customers and provides water to around 2.5 million residents in the Phoenix area. Fountain Hills is included in these electricity and water service groups. But behind those everyday services are two powerful organizations that shape the region’s water and energy future.
Formed in 1903, the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association—“the Association”—is a private water corporation managing supplies for more than 2 million people. Its partner, the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District—“the District”—was created in 1937 as a publicly governed utility district that now delivers electricity across the Valley. Each has its own board, and every other year eligible landowners vote to elect the SRP president, vice president, board members, and council members to four-year terms.
Turning Point USA is conducting an aggressive campaign to influence those elections. The conservative advocacy group has pledged to “out-register Democrats ten to one” and has branded clean-energy and water-conservation advocates as “radical environmentalists” who will, in their words, “raise utility rates.”
Since mid-2025, Turning Point canvassers have been targeting voters across SRP’s East Valley territory—a key conservative base. On social media, the group is urging supporters to defeat what it calls “Green New Deal extremists” and elect “freedom-minded leadership.” If their endorsed candidates win seats on SRP’s water and power boards, policy could shift sharply—favoring more stored water redirected for urban development while opposing initiatives that preserve river flows for habitat, recreation, or downstream water quality.
On the power side, a Turning Point majority would likely push back against clean energy and sustainability investments. Despite the consequences, SRP board elections often go unnoticed. Only landowning customers within SRP boundaries can vote, a rule that keeps turnout low and limits participation. To check if you’re eligible, type your address into SRP’s voting district map. If you are eligible, learn more about how to cast your ballot for the April 7, 2026 election here.
For information on environmentally focused candidates running for both boards, visit srpcleanenergy.org. With SRP’s leadership shaping the Valley’s water reserves and energy future, these elections carry real stakes. If you have a vote, this is not the year to sit out.
