Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is holding a town hall in Tucson on Jan. 13 to hear residents' opinions on TEP's request for a 14% rate increase, which she opposes.
Mayes, a Democrat who previously served on the Arizona Corporation Commission, is formally intervening with the commission in Tucson Electric Power's rate case.
"Tucson residents: I want to hear from you about how rising utility rates are affecting your community," she wrote on Instagram. "Arizona families are already facing sky-high electricity bills, which is why I’m fighting APS and TEP’s pending rate cases." (APS, or Arizona Public Service, serves the Phoenix area.)
The town hall is set for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 13, a Tuesday, at the YWCA of Southern Arizona, 525 N. Bonita Ave.
Mayes is asking for RSVPs at bit.ly/1-13TucsonTownHall.
In June, TEP announced it is seeking the 14% rate increase for residential customers. On average, the increase would add about $16 per month — $192 per year — to electric bills for households with a median usage of 638 kilowatt-hours per month.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes
Mayes said in a news release in September, “TEP’s parent company reported $1.6 billion in net earnings last year. This is a billion-dollar company that wants to increase the average Tucson consumer’s monthly bill by 14% following back-to-back rate hikes over the past five years. It’s time to say ‘enough.’”
“We’re watching a monopoly utility try to abuse the system. Tucson consumers cannot choose a different electric service provider unless they sell their house and move," she said.
Erik Bakken, TEP’s senior vice president and chief administrative officer, said in September that the attorney general’s rhetoric is unproductive.
“Inflammatory rhetoric about a public, evidence-based regulatory proceeding is not constructive, particularly in this divisive political climate,” Bakken said in a statement. “Our employees are proud of the strong reliability and responsive service we provide, and we welcome thoughtful scrutiny of the investments we’ve made that are already supporting safe, reliable service for our community.”
TEP also noted that, in May 2024, the utility announced residential bills would be reduced by about $10 per month following temporary adjustments to the Demand Side Management surcharge and a reduction to the Purchased Power and Fuel Adjustment Charge (PPFAC). The utility also pointed to additional savings when it increased the PPFAC credit in April.
The Tucson City Council is also formally intervening to oppose TEP's rate increase.
