Arizona's utility regulator on Monday started its six-week hearings for Arizona Public Service’s proposed 14% rate increase.
That kicked off with APS customers speaking in opposition as protesters gathered outside the Arizona Corporation Commission Office, speaking against the proposed hike.
“You can’t move around and shop around for a different electric company. So the only recourse that we have is to be here at the Arizona Corporation Commission and ask them to look out for working families in Arizona," said Ricardo Reyes, who is with VetsForward and an APS customer.
Data centers were as a common concern among the speakers providing public comment.
Blake Lister spoke before the commission.
“Big Tech’s data centers are using up more and more of Arizona’s electricity as well as demanding significant investments in new infrastructure, which as a result raises everyone’s utility bills," Lister said.
The utility says it is seeking to set a specific rate for data centers and that the general increase is necessary due to rising infrastructure costs.
“It is our right and our duty to make sure utility companies are being held accountable and that the ACC does their job by hearing our voices on issues that directly impact our wallet and our lives," said Nile Bunger, with the Arizona Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander for Equity Coalition (AANHPI).
Hearings are scheduled at ACC's headquarters, 1200 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007, in Hearing Room 1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. most days Monday through Friday through June 30, according to the ACC's calendar.
The commission's final vote is expected to come in December.
-
Scottsdale is facing water uncertainties as it gets about 70% from the Colorado River. -
AG Kris Mayes formally disapproved of a rule the Arizona Corporation Commission approved in March that repealed renewable energy standards for utilities. -
As temperatures in metro Phoenix settle into the triple digits, a new report finds we should expect to pay more to cool our homes this summer. -
The race for the Salt River Project Board was unprecedented this year with record turnout for a normally sleepy election to govern one of the state’s largest utilities. -
“There is a limited water supply. It’s getting even lower. And with that, a lot of hard decisions need to be made,” said John Berggren, regional policy manager for the environmental nonprofit Western Resource Advocates.
