Across the nation, consumers are feeling the pinch as electric bills keep rising. If last year’s price increases were tough to swallow, the news that utilities have proposed a staggering $29 billion rate hike for 2025 may come as a shock to many. This figure is more than double what was approved the previous year.
Arizona is no exception to this trend.
Arizona Attorney General Chris Mays has consistently positioned herself as an advocate for consumers. Recently, another set of rate hikes was proposed during discussions at the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). Arizona Public Service (APS) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) have both requested a 14% increase. In a press release, Mays declared her strong opposition to these hikes, citing the financial struggles faced by residents who are already grappling with increasing electricity bills.
However, it’s worth noting that Mays has limited experience with ACC matters. She seems to believe that her past involvement in the committee during the 2000s somehow gives her the authority to resist what appears to be an ongoing trend of double-digit rate increases. Unfortunately, her involvement could be more of a hindrance as the Public Corporation Commission navigates its net zero targets.
It’s interesting, perhaps ironic, that Mays played a significant role in establishing the sustainability-based hikes that consumers are facing today. Her entry into the discussion about rate increases really underscores the alarming parallels between the current ACC and the committee she was part of back in 2006.
Remarkably, Mays was appointed as a Republican by Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano, and she was a prominent advocate for the original Green New Deal objectives, which mandated that 15% of energy generation come from renewable sources by 2025.
To accommodate the expenses tied to these renewable standards, utilities began charging ratepayers for projects that have accumulated significant costs. In 2012, there was yet another APS rate increase to help cover expenditures related to solar infrastructure, battery storage initiatives, and necessary upgrades for integrating renewable energy into the grid.
By 2019, the financial burden of these mandates had already exceeded $1 billion, with ratepayers facing increased fees to cover operational costs.
After leaving the ACC, Mays became a lobbyist and worked with groups aligned with the Green New Deal. In 2017, she even chaired a campaign focused on clean energy initiatives, backed by billionaire Tom Steyer.
Given her lengthy advocacy for renewable energy, one might expect Mays to be pleased by APS and TEP’s commitment to her green agenda, which includes a promise to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This aligns closely with her original goals for a carbon-free grid reliant on solar and wind energy.
Interestingly, Mays should also show some gratitude to the current Republican leadership at the ACC for amplifying her commitment to radical energy reform.
Last year, the ACC approved resource plans developed by APS and TEP, propelling her earlier renewable standards and setting Arizona on a path to phase out coal by 2031 while aiming for 90% energy production from renewable sources.
Yet, now that the costs associated with these green initiatives are surfacing, Mays is publicly expressing frustration over the rate increases necessary to fund them. Her plan seems to involve condemning the utilities and their regulatory body, juxtaposed with predictions that this transition could burden ratepayers to the tune of $42 billion. The irony is palpable—watching someone who helped architect these initiatives feign surprise at their financial repercussions.
