What is happening
Arizona’s largest electric utility Arizona Public Service (APS) wants to increase electricity rates by $460 million each year. That would raise bills for APS customers by 13.6%. APS wants to use that money to pay for the continued use of dirty, expensive coal plants. Instead, they should be putting it towards clean energy solutions like solar. As solar supporters know, solar would actually bring down costs.
We need APS to stop making ratepayers fund these costly, outdated energy sources. They should focus on replacing them with cleaner and cheaper options that put ratepayers first. Instead of spending on coal, APS should incentivize money-saving resources like rooftop solar, battery storage, efficiency, and demand management.
The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) is considering APS’s application to raise rates and accepting public comments right now. They need to hear from solar supporters like you. Sign onto Solar United Neighbors’ comments by filling out this form.
Dear Commissioners,
I am writing to ask that you reevaluate Arizona Public Service’s (APS) application to increase rates with clean and affordable energy solutions, like solar, in mind.
The 13.6% proposed increase is too high of a burden to place on Arizona ratepayers. It is also unjustified. APS’s plan does not sufficiently prioritize transitioning towards cheaper and more beneficial options, which would reduce costs for ratepayers while enabling APS to deliver clean, reliable power.
Solar supporters have several major concerns with APS’s plan, including:
- APS is continuing to spend ratepayers’ money on its coal plants. Ratepayers should not be on the hook to keep these dirty, outdated, and expensive plants running when there are cheaper and better options.
- APS can save ratepayers money by speeding up the retirement of the Four Corners Power Plant and switching to clean alternatives, like solar paired with battery storage.
- Spending less on aging fossil fuel infrastructure would enable APS to prioritize smarter investments that would bring down costs and deliver benefits for all ratepayers, such as incentives for rooftop solar, distributed battery storage, efficiency, and demand-side management.
- The burning of fossil fuels continues to occur at the cost of the environment and health of local communities, particularly those closest to coal plants.
- A monthly bill increase of 13.6% is a significant increase for all ratepayers, but will particularly burden frontline and disadvantaged communities as well as elderly customers on fixed income.
With all of that in mind, I hope that the Commission will reconsider APS’s application.
Sincerely,
