Category: Uncategorized

Vianey Olivarría imagines a healed, more walkable Phoenix

Vianey Olivarría doesn’t think of herself as outdoorsy. She’ll camp now and then, but only if there are showers nearby. She loves a breezy stroll along a promenade but doesn’t mess around with hiking Camelback. And she’s too much of a foodie to consider dehydrated meals. For a long time, these were some of the […]

Diane Brown: Promoting pragmatism over partisanship with PIRG

Diane Brown has spent the past four decades advocating for consumers with the Public Interest Research Group. Twenty of those years have been spent in the Grand Canyon state, where she serves as the executive director of the Arizona Public Interest Research Group. Brown sat down with the Arizona Capitol Times to chat about her […]

Arizona Corporation Commission hearing to focus on data centers

The Arizona Corporation Commission is holding a special workshop on the impact of data centers and other “large-load facilities” on electric bills. The hearing, held April 16, comes two weeks after a governor’s task force warned that Arizona needs a “full suite” of policies that “accommodate economic growth without compromising grid reliability or unfairly increasing […]

Clean Energy Slate Wins Control of Arizona’s Biggest Utility

Proponents of renewable power will control the Phoenix area utility’s policymaking for the first time after they won an unusually contentious race that drew attention from national groups. A slate of liberal candidates won control of the board of Arizona’s largest public utility this week, according to preliminary results posted on Wednesday, emerging from a […]

Formula-based rates don’t add up for consumers | Opinion

If you find it challenging to pay your utility bill or are concerned about the costs of running your air conditioner for the next six months to stay comfortable, you are not alone. Unfortunately, the end is not in sight. Based on recent actions and statements by elected members of the Arizona Corporation Commission, Arizona […]

AG: Northern Arizona ratepayers ‘foot the bill’ in APS rate hike

Arizona Public Service Company wants to raise its electricity rates by about 14%. If approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission, it could take effect later this year. But Attorney General Kris Mayes says APS could get away with a 3% increase and still maintain reliable service. She says in the current plan, residential rate-payers would […]

Where did the Phoenix heat wave come from and when will it end?

Call it spring hellfire, the Heat Miser’s meddling or the harbinger of summer — a historic heat wave is descending on Arizona, bringing three-digit temperatures to Phoenix. But this week’s record-breaking heat is not the stuff of myth or legend, experts warn: It’s on trend for a warming planet. The heat is the result of […]

Paying for Their Profits: How Ratepayers Foot the Bill for Soaring Utility Profits

Households and businesses served by investor-owned utilities pay billions of dollars in profits to utility investors each year. Until now, no one has put a precise number on how much of an electric bill is made up of that profit. Using publicly reported financial data, this report provides the first systematic look at how much […]

Guess the first 100-degree day in Phoenix

After a very brief heat reprieve brought on by Monday’s storm, temperatures are expected to climb once again, with some forecasts calling for 100-degree weather next week. 👎 Why it matters: That’s more than a month sooner than we’re supposed to see triple-digit temperatures. State of play: To add a bit of levity to our least favorite time of the […]