Sandra Kennedy Supports Fellow Arizona Corporation Commissioners' Review Of APS Rate Hike

By Will Stone
Published: Wednesday, January 2, 2019 - 2:39pm
Bret Jaspers/KJZZ
Sandra Kennedy.

One of Arizona’s incoming public utility regulators says she supports the effort by two of her counterparts to scrutinize the most recent rate hike by the state’s largest power company.

In a letter, Commissioner-elect Sandra Kennedy said a rate review is a good place to start to determine if Arizona Public Service (APS) is over-earning because of its most recent rate hike. Kennedy added that might not be going far enough, though.

Kennedy will be sworn in next week as one of five regulators who sit on the Arizona Corporation Commission.

She’ll be the first Democrat to serve since 2012 — when she last served on the commission.

Her letter in favor of a rate review comes after commissioners Boyd Dunn and Bob Burns said they have received substantial complaints that the rate increase was much more than anticipated.

A spokesperson for APS has disputed the claims about the bill hike, saying some customers are paying less now.