For Immediate Release

Contact:  Stacey Champion, E. sc@champion-pr.com 

April 22, 2019

Customer-led APS rate hike complaint being heard at Arizona Corporation Commission open meeting TOMORROW, April 23

Though the Administrative Law Judge recommended “dismissal” of Champion’s complaint, the ultimate decision of whether or not the Arizona Public Service (APS) rates approved in the August 2017 $95MIL rate hike settlement are “just and reasonable” will lie with the current Commissioners, two of whom voted for the 2017 APS rate hike, and three who did not.

Phoenix, AZ – A press conference will take place tomorrow, April 23, at 9:15 a.m. in front of the Arizona Corporation Commission building, followed by the open meeting inside at 10:00 a.m., which includes on the agenda Docket No. E-01345A-18-0002 – Stacey Champion, et al. v. Arizona Public Service Company. The Arizona Corporation Commission is located at 1200 W. Washington, Phoenix.  

The complaint was originally filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission on January 3, 2018 by Champion with more than 400 APS customer petition signatures, citing A.R.S. 40-246, as to the "reasonableness of any rates and charges" of APS, a public service corporation. Since that time, the petition has received nearly 8000 signatures, numerous comments about rising power bills and hardship, and the group continues to crowd contribute to a legal fund, which has to date raised more than $20k for the grassroots effort, in true David vs. Goliath form.

When the 2017 $95MIL rate hike was approved, APS and the Arizona Corporation Commission both issued press releases and touted to numerous media outlets that residential customers could expect to see a $6 per month increase on their utility bills. All of the releases stated a 4.5% average residential increase. There was no mention of “base rates” or “fluctuating adjustors” in any of these releases or subsequent stories, nor would those terms mean much to the majority of consumers, who simply want to know what their actual bill impact will be. How much more will I be spending every month on my power bill?

What Champion’s expert, Abhay Padgaonkar, found after analyzing millions of customer bills which were obtained directly from APS through data requests, was that the actual average increase to residential customers was really a 12.5% increase, almost three times the amount APS and Arizona Corporation Commission told the public their bills would rise. This APS shell game was exposed throughout the five-day Champion complaint hearing which took place in Sept., 2018.

It should also be noted that the campaigns of all five Commissioners who were in place at the time of the rate hike approval were heavily funded directly by APS/Pinnacle West, with Commissioner Bob Burns being the lone no vote on the rate hike. Numerous stories have now documented the records released by APS with regard to their political strategy to ensure their chosen candidates would be in place for their impending rate case, and many of the current Commissioners questions still haven’t been answered by APS as of this date.

Though Chairman Burns has listed the item as “discussion only” as there is currently an open Docket to review APS’ 2018 earnings, which Champion was granted intervention status into and is currently pending, the real question for Commissioners Tobin and Dunn who voted yes on the rate hike and will most likely run for reelection, is this: If you knew the real actual bill impact to residential customers was really 12.56% versus 4.54%, would you still have voted yes on the rate hike?

The hearing will be open to public comments on Tuesday, and a call-in number has been provided for those unable to attend in person or who don't have internet access so they may listen in. The hearing will also be broadcast live from the ACC website for those interested.

Champion's continued desired outcome of the complaint is a realistic and transparent full rate hike rehearing which would completely rescind the formerly approved rate hike which has caused an undue hardship for thousands of APS customers across the state and was not relayed to customers in an honest manner.

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/997959993736589/

Call in info: 

Number: 1-800-689-9374

Passcode for comment: 415962

Passcode to listen: 415960

Live Broadcast link: http://azcc.gov/live 

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