Eight candidates competed for the three open seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission – three were registered Republicans in the race, three were Democrats and two were affiliated with the Green Party.
All three of those candidates endorsed by Arizona’s Republican party claimed the available seats with Rachel Walden receiving 17.89% of the votes, Rene Lopez receiving 17.37% and Incumbent Lea Marquez Peterson receiving 16.89% at 99% of precincts reporting.
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Six candidates vying for three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission went head-to-head in a televised debate Tuesday night moderated by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission.
Among the topics debated was one on the top of every Arizonans’ mind – energy price rate hikes. Arizona experienced one of the hottest summers in history this year, and one of the most expensive with energy bills increasing up to $100 a month for some residents.
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The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), an independent body with powers derived from constitutional authority, ultimately opted to reopen the APS rate case to enhance the evidentiary record. During the February rate case, the ACC approved this controversial fee, intended to cover grid access costs for solar customers. Its last-minute introduction during the hearing sparked allegations of discrimination and due process violations.
In the APS case, the ACC voted to approve a rate hike for customers on February 22, 2024. It was approved 4-1 along party lines with the Democrat Commissioner Anna Tovar as the sole “no” vote. Chairman Jim O’Connor (R) seemed to allude on Arizona Horizon that this complex case, first filed on June 1, 2022, was handled in a meticulous manner.
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The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) recently took the unusual step of voting to pull back on the state’s renewable energy targets, over concerns they are too costly and produce few benefits.
Most states are moving in the other direction, following California’s lead, but there are signs of some hesitation as the real costs of these policies are realized.
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A bill aiming to crackdown on unlicensed sober living facilities passed out of the Arizona State Senate unanimously, but could face hurdles as it moves forward.
State officials say an increasingly common scam occuring in Arizona involves facilities that brand themselves as sober living facilities but do not offer people any actual help. Many Native Americans in Arizona have been targeted by the homes, and those who go into these homes sometimes end up losing contact with loved ones while there, according to lawmakers.
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Some Republicans on the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) are resisting calls to stop Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) plans by the utilities they regulate, and the controversy has extended to the upcoming fall election.
Three of the five seats are up for election: two are wide open, and the third is held by Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson, who is seeking reelection. While two new Republican candidates appear to be running as a slate with Márquez Peterson, newcomer Christy Kelly is running alone on a platform that emphasizes stopping ESG, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and the Green New Deal.
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Conservative Arizona Corporation Commissioner (ACC) Jim O’Connor is not running for reelection to the ACC, prompting other conservatives to jump into the race. Additionally, progressive Commissioner Anna Tovar is up for reelection. Christy Kelly, a grassroots conservative, recently entered the race, and is running on a platform that includes stopping ESG at the utility companies, something the ACC has not aggressively taken action on. ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance, the three key factors when measuring the sustainability and ethical impact of an investment in a business or company.
She identifies as part of the #WalkAway movement as a former Democrat who became a Republican. Kelly told The Arizona Sun Times, “I like to say I’ve always been conservative — I just didn’t know it. Black folks are naturally conservative, we were just brainwashed.”
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