The utility-regulating Arizona Corporation Commission kicked off its new year by swearing in three members in a feel-good session marked by a lack of political rancor.
With no Democrats now among its five members, the all-Republican commission quickly passed three motions with no dissenting votes — one an affirmation of its code of ethics, another confirming Kevin Thompson as its new chairman on a nomination by Nick Myers, and the third confirming Myers to a new role as vice chairman in a nomination by Thompson.
The sole outgoing Democrat, Anna Tovar, did not seek re-election and had been censured by the commission in December. She declined to attend the swearing-in session and canceled an opportunity to provide comment. She earlier had told the Arizona Republic that her censure was the result of a “political witch hunt” by a group she labeled as partisan.
She was chastised by the commission in November for leaking confidential information during a closed session. The commission referred the matter, which largely involved Tovar disclosing a $20,000 one-time bonus for Executive Director Doug Clark, to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review.
Outgoing Chairman Jim O’Connor recounted what he considered the key successes of the outgoing commission. The panel voted on 580 measures over the past two years, he said, with 519 of those decisions made in a unanimous manner. The achievements ranged from deciding 20 utility rate cases affecting more than 1.6 million customers, mainly for Arizona Public Service, to approving hundreds of miles of transmission lines and other projects and securing $15.6 million in restitution in securities-fraud cases.
Also, panel members approved or required 2,140 more megawatts of battery-storage projects, 1,700 megawatts of solar projects and 922 megawatts of natural-gas generation. Arizona’s utilities are hustling to meet a voracious demand for electricity over the next decade or so.
As for the new board, “Arizona is extraordinarily well-represented” on the commission, Connor said.
Connor criticized a prior policy from a previous commission that required utilities to commit to purchasing solar power at what he called unsustainably high prices. That’s an example of government agencies “getting into business decisions they know little about,” he said.
Diane Brown, executive director of Arizona PIRG, a research group, said she hoped the commission would “continue its focus on improving efficiencies as long as it’s not to the detriment of transparency and public participation,” a reference to a new, streamlined rate-making policy adopted late last year.
Rachel Walden and Rene Lopez were sworn in as new members, along with Lea Marquez Peterson, an incumbent who won re-election. They grabbed the most votes in a race pitting them against five others, including three Democrats who campaigned largely on a pro-solar platform.
The Republican candidates favored a more diversified energy mix including the use of natural-gas power plants that can ramp up quickly during high-demand periods.
Peterson, the sole Tucsonan on the commission, described Arizona as being on the cusp of greater economic prosperity that underscored the need to make energy reliable and affordable.
Walden, the top vote-getter for commission seats in the November election, formerly served on the Mesa Public Schools board and said she was the first member of a school board to win a statewide office directly. She credited her mother, Nancy Bradshaw, for much of her success, describing the retired certified financial planner as a single mother who raised five children in Mesa without ever taking a government handout.
Walden emphasized the need for the commission to uphold the rights of the public, while Lopez vowed to try to make government operate as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: All-Republican Arizona Corporation Commission takes office