Woman died after APS shut off power. Commissioner says more rules aren't needed, blames her son

An elected official on the commission that regulates most Arizona utilities says electricity companies should not have to do anything more to prevent heat-related deaths, following news that an 82-year-old woman died in her home on a 99-degree day after her power had been disconnected.

Katherine Korman died May 19, 2024, at her home in Sun City West. Her electricity had been shut off earlier that week. Korman had not paid her electricity bill since January, according to her utility provider, Arizona Public Service.

The Maricopa County medical examiner lists Korman’s death as accidental, from chronic alcohol use, with cardiovascular disease and heat stress among the contributing factors.

The Arizona Corporation Commission in 2019 began prohibiting some utilities from shutting off customers’ power from June through mid-October, following another heat-related death of an APS customer whose power had been disconnected.

But in response to Korman’s death, some, including her son, Adam Korman, have called for a broader moratorium to prevent heat deaths.

In posts on X, Arizona Corporation Commissioner Nick Myers noted Korman’s other health issues and blamed Korman’s son for not looking out for his mom.

“So you are really going to come after us, who have no control over the situation, when you failed to protect your own mother, even though there were multiple tools in place for you to use for that exact purpose?” Myers wrote.

Myers also wrote that utilities should not have to provide power to people who don’t pay.

“To be honest, I'm not even happy about many of the programs that they have in place to help, but I understand the need for them,” Myers said on X.

Adam Korman wrote in reply, “I can’t go back in time to save my mom, but you @votenickmyers are in a position to prevent more deaths. Now it’s clear why you won’t do that – you think she deserved to die.”

In a statement to KJZZ via email, Arizona Corporation Commission spokesperson Nicole Garcia said, “The Arizona Corporation Commission wishes to extend its condolences to the family of the deceased [...] In the event a customer has received a disconnection notice, the Commission is ready to assist with communicating with the customer’s utility and connecting them to resources. The Commission’s rules aim to help protect residents from the dangers of extreme heat, and we are open to working with the community to identify more opportunities to prevent heat related losses.”