(Photo by Alan Stark - CC BY 2.0)

Cholla Power Plant in northeastern Arizona.

Under the finalized Clean Power Plan, Arizona has one of the “moderate" state goals for reducing carbon emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That is a notable difference from the proposed plan that had tasked the state with one of the most aggressive reduction targets of 52 percent.

According to the EPA, it is not possible, however, to make a direct comparison between the target of 52 percent and the final reduction target.

Sandy Bahr with the Sierra Club said her organization wishes the EPA had not lowered the target from what had been proposed.

"That being said, this plan really relies on and promotes renewable resources more and that’s great for Arizona and even more reason why we should be able to meet and exceed the target reductions,” Bahr said.

The EPA said the plan gives states considerable latitude for how they will curtail emissions, but Arizona had raised significant concerns about the proposed rules. The state questioned not only the EPA’s legal authority, but also the targets and pace for cutting emissions, saying it could not take advantage of the plan’s flexibility.

The department of environmental quality is still in the process of reviewing the final rules.