Yes, I'm Still Writing About My Power Company

I've been battling my power company since 2009 or so. It started off with a bad meter and eventually wound up with my giving testimony at a hearing about their slopping and greedy way of doing business. It also directly led to me working on lower my power bills, and to this blog.

I guess I sort of owe them for that.

However, with the filing mentioned in previous posts, and an election where we the voters booted out one of the commissioners that was sympathetic to APS, Forese, things are happening a little differently. There have been two dockets opened directly against APS and the way they handle themselves.

E-01345A-19-0003 - In the matter of the rate review and examination of the books and records of Arizona Public Service Company and its affiliates, subsidiaries and Pinnacle West Corporation.

E-01345A-19-0005 - In the matter of the Commission's Inquiry/Investigation into the Campaign Expenditures and Political Participation of Arizona Public Service Company and its Affiliates, Subsidiaries and Pinnacle West Capitol Corporation in the Election Periods of 2012, 2014 and 2016.

In the fhe first one, the Arizona Corporation Commisssion ordered its staff members to audit APS and its recent profits after the rate increase. This IS A DIRECT RESULT of citizen action over the last many months.

First protests about the initial filing for the rate increase, then the lawsuit I posted many times about, then the election where Tom Forese was not re-elected (he used to chair the commission), then the two crowning touches: Tom Forese after losing, asked for APS to explain the excessive increases people were seeing, AND Bob Burns was appointed chairman of the board. Bob Burns has opposed this increase and the handling of the APS contributions in the previous election; he even brought a law suit to expose it.

Take a closer look at the second one. Yes, you read it right, they're investigating (or at least trying) the political hanky panky that was reported and suspected in past elections. You know, spend enough money to get your own people elected, then get your way with whatever you want to charge?

Then, since I'm registered to receive updates on these items, I received the following announcement headline:

"Sandra Kennedy (our new Commissioner on the Arizona Corporation Commission) has ordered a subpoena issued to APS to disclose their 'Dark Money' political contributions."

Yes, someone actually did it. Of course there will be a huge court fight at some point, but someone had the courage to actually do it. Bob Burns tried last year, but couldn't get the other commissioners to actually let it happen. This time, I bet it goes out since we fired a major roadblock in the last election.

Since most of y'all aren't on that particular mailing list, here's the significant text of the press release that I received and came out on 2/26/2019:

"Commissioner Sandra Kennedy has finalized and docketed a letter to Matthew Neubert, executive director of the Arizona Corporation Commission, directing him to prepare a subpoena to Arizona Public Service (APS) and its parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, regarding its spending on political races, lobbying, advertising, and contributions to 501 c 3 and 501 c 4 organizations for the calendar years 2013 through 2018. (Contributions to 501 c 3 and 501 c 4 organizations can be used to mask dark money spending.)

The subpoena effort has been fueled by concerns about millions of dollars of dark money spent in Arizona elections starting in 2014, and APS’ refusal to provide that information. About 30 million dollars were openly spent by APS to defeat Proposition 127 in the 2018 election, but the issue of other political spending by APS in other races is still an unknown. Commissioner Kennedy supports full transparency and looks forward to providing the subpoena results to the public.

Commissioner Kennedy promised in her successful 2018 Corporation Commission campaign to sign a subpoena to finally allow transparency regarding APS’ political spending, and she will be inviting her fellow Commissioners an opportunity to sign the subpoena as well."

The actual letter that was filed is at http://docket.images.azcc.gov/0000196338.pdf and makes for some fine reading.

Additionally the next day (today for me), there was an additional announcement:

"Commissioners Seek Information from APS on Political Spending

Chairman Burns and Commissioner Dunn issue joint request seeking transparency"

As with all things political, the two additional Commissioners drafted their own paperwork. They created another docket, E-01345A-19-0043, and their own letter. This letter has places for all Commissioners signature and a very bold letter. If you're interested (for a political science paper when mid-terms are looming) it's at <link>.  It has a wonderful line in a couple of pages that I actually cheered when I read it:

"YOU ARE HEREBY COMMANDED"

If anyone ever thought that voting didn't matter, think again. The first docket was filed by Bob Burns, and the second was filed by  Sandra Kennedy. This all happened after Forese was not re-elected. Of course, there were many people like me following this closely and myself and other spoke at various hearings. Money was donated, charges were filed, hearing were held.

And, we're not done yet. This will take more months and more hearings before anything of any substance happens. But, the people have actually started something.

What's coming to the world? There actually are some politicians (well sort of politicians) that keep their campaign promises.