Hon. Kyrsten Sinema, US Senator for Arizona
Hon. Mark Kelly, US Senator for Arizona
Hon. Eli Crane, US Congressman for AZ District 2

We, the undersigned residents, affected families served by the San Carlos Irrigation Project (SCIP), and supporters, urgently appeal to you to intervene in a crisis impacting thousands of lives in your jurisdiction. SCIP recently doubled its electricity rates effectively overnight, without adequate warning or reasonable justification.

Immediate Impact:

• Families are unable to pay utility bills.
• Residents are forced to endure 110° heat without A/C.
• Financial hardships are forcing untenable choices between basic needs, exacerbating social inequalities. 

Failed Governance:

• The decision was taken without transparent dialogue or sufficient analysis of its far-reaching social and economic implications.
• Appeals for redress within the existing governance structure of SCIP have proven futile, leading us to seek federal intervention.

Requested Actions:

1. Advocate for emergency relief measures to alleviate the financial burdens on affected families.
2. Pressure the federal agencies responsible for SCIP oversight (such as BIA) to review and, if possible, roll back the rate increase.
3. Instigate an immediate Congressional inquiry into the rate increase and its impact.
4. Introduce legislation to revert SCIP's control of electrical power to state jurisdiction under the AZ Corporation Commission, like other Arizona power utilities, and provide federal funding to enable this to happen. 

We understand that Congressional action is a significant step, but the dire circumstances have left us with no other viable avenue for immediate relief. We, therefore, earnestly request your intervention to address this crisis and ensure such a failure of governance does not recur.

Important Facts:

The power bill for SCIP customers is AT LEAST 70% MORE than for the same period in previous years (in some cases more than 2x):

• 40+% increase to base power rate
• 80+% increase in Power Cost Adjustment (PCA) “to meet financial and statutory requirements” due to SCIP mismanagement
• Rate increases were repeatedly billed to residents before the increases were legally in effect (April 2023, Sept. 2023)
• Current increases are far beyond the amounts authorized by BIA
• The process for these increases failed to include adequate public notice, in violation of federal statutes

News Coverage

• Possible solutions presented to SCIP customers upset with high bills (9/25/2023)
• 'I'm scared': In Pinal County, customers of unique power company see quick-rising bills (9/24/2023)
• Hundreds of residents gathered in Florence seeking solutions for high power bills (9/20/2023)
• Arizona customers feel powerless as federally-owned energy company raises rates (9/19/2023)
• San Carlos customers shocked to receive doubled electric bills (9/15/2023)