Press Release - RUCO Releases Analysis of Rate-Related Ballot Initiative

(Phoenix, August 16, 2018)—The Arizona Residential Utility Consumer Office (RUCO) today released an analysis of the Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona initiative, in fulfillment of the agency’s responsibility to represent the interests of residential utility ratepayers in rate-related matters.

RUCO’s analysis concludes that electricity bills under the Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona ballot initiative, would increase for APS and TEP residential customers by at least $630 and $449 per year, respectively, by 2030.

The initiative would also likely result in the closure of the Palo Verde Generating Station, the nation’s largest source of clean, carbon-free energy, before 2030.

According to the RUCO study, the overall cost to implement the renewable energy mandate, which calls for Arizona utilities to obtain 50% of their energy from renewable sources by 2030, would be more than $8 billion, over that same time period.

“Our analysis shows that the ballot initiative would result in increased costs for Arizona’s residential utility customers, including those on low or fixed incomes,” said RUCO Director David Tenney.

Tenney emphasized that his office is supportive of renewable energy efforts. “As the state’s ratepayer advocate, I am in support of increasing the state’s utilization of renewable energy in ways that do not compromise the ratepayer’s access to affordable energy.”

***

The Residential Utility Consumer Office was established by the Arizona Legislature in 1983 to research, study and analyze residential utility consumer interests.