PHOENIX — Three candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission spoke about data centers, rate increases and renewable energy at a forum Friday hosted by Vote Solar and other organizations. The debate came just a few days before the start of early voting.
Democratic challengers Clara Pratte and Jonathon Hill and write-in Green Party candidate Mike Cease are hoping to change the makeup of a board they described as important but poorly understood.
“The Arizona Corporation Commission is one of those offices that the average Arizonan doesn’t hear much about, but the decisions made there show up in our everyday lives, including our electricity bills, how Arizona plans for its energy needs, and how members of the public can weigh in on those decisions,” said Itzel Rios-Vega, Vote Solar’s regional director for the interior West.
Although Republican incumbent Commissioner Kevin Thompson initially confirmed attendance, he did not appear at the event. Fellow Republican nominee Ralph Heap did not respond to his invitation.
People are also reading…
The powerful five-member board regulates private and investor-owned public utilities, including some water and energy providers; securities and business incorporations; and pipeline and railroad safety.
The three candidates appearing at the forum supported policies that would push the development of renewable energy and battery storage. They also criticized many of the actions taken by the current slate of commissioners, which they said had disincentivized the adoption of renewable energy and the development of rooftop solar.
"Why are we not investing in things that will help to take the pressure off the grid, which include virtual power plants, rooftop solar, battery storage?" Pratte, the founder of electricity provider Navajo Power, asked. "All of these things could help alleviate those pressure points on our grid."
They also supported efforts to increase transparency and public engagement with the commission.
From left, write-in Green Party candidate Mike Cease, Democrat Jonathon Hill, Democrat Clara Pratte and moderator Reagan Priest attend Friday's debate for two seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission. The two Republican candidates did not attend.
Hill stressed that each commissioner has the ability to subpoena regulated entities. He cast the race for the two seats as a jumping-off point for change.
"We have to capture these two seats, and then we can come back in 2028 when there will be three seats on the ballot and we just have to win one and we will have a pro-solar, pro-renewables commission for the first time in 30 years," said Hill, a geologist and aerospace engineer.
Thompson, Pratte and Hill met last month at a debate hosted by the Citizens Clean Elections Commission. Heap did not attend.
The September debate focused largely on affordability. Utilities are allowed under Arizona law to recoup infrastructure costs with rate increases. But it is the commission's duty to ensure rates charged to consumers are "just and reasonable."
Two major proposed increases ― from Arizona Public Service Co. and Tucson Electric Power ― are currently under consideration.
At the Oct. 2 debate, Hill and Cease, who previously worked at the Solar Energy Research Institute, which later became the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, said deciding between affordability and reliability was a “false choice.”
“We can and should have both of those things,” Hill said.
Thompson told The Arizona Republic he ultimately decided to skip the forum because "at the end of the day, I didn't have anything to gain" and said he hoped to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
Some of the host organizations, Thompson said, are currently challenging the commission's decision to adopt formula rates for utilities. The ratemaking structure allows utilities to adjust their rates annually using a formula, which proponents say would limit massive rate spikes and opponents say could hurt ratepayers.
Thompson said the race is focused on reliability and affordability. He said he feels the commission has successfully "reeled in" utility spending while ensuring utilities can keep the lights on — and the AC running — during periods of extreme heat.
Thompson said residents should look at their bills year-round to take seasonal fluctuations into account.
"Then see if we've done our job," Thompson said.
Thompson, a former Mesa City Council member, was first elected to the commission in 2022.
Oct. 5 is the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 election. Early voting begins Oct. 7.
