The Arizona Corporation Commission election is shaping up to be a battle of outside spending after another group threw its money into the race in the past week.
The Arizona Association of Realtors’ Protecting the American Dream Fund, an independent expenditure committee, put up a website and sent out mailers to support GOP commissioners Bob Burns and Andy Tobin, as well as former Chandler mayor Boyd Dunn.
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CANCELLED ACC Staff Meeting - October 18, 2016
CANCELLED ACC Staff Meeting - October 18, 2016
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Dems Running for Corporation Commission Celebrate APS Snub, Condemn 'Culture of Corruption'
Dems Running for Corporation Commission Celebrate APS Snub, Condemn 'Culture of Corruption'
Ryan Randazzo , The Republic | azcentral.com 4:19 p.m. MST October 17, 2016
Two Democrats running for the Arizona Corporation Commission on Monday said they were glad the CEO of the state's biggest utility, Arizona Public Service Co., was not endorsing them.
Don Brandt, president and CEO of APS and its parent company, said in an email to company employees last week that he was supporting the three Republicans running for Corporation Commission, which sets utility rates and policies.
Brandt's company is suing one of those Republicans, Robert Burns, because the commissioner wants to force APS to disclose whether it spent money in the 2014 elections. The topic has become central to Burns' re-election campaign.
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APS Chief Sends Campaign Endorsements to Employees
APS Chief Sends Campaign Endorsements to Employees
By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services | Oct 15, 2016
PHOENIX -- The head of the state's largest electric utility may be suing Bob Burns in court.
But Don Brandt apparently wants to keep Burns as a member of the Arizona Corporation Commission for another four years.
In an email to employees of Arizona Public Service obtained by Capitol Media Services, Brandt acknowledged he has "disagreements'' with Burns.
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Democratic Corp Comm Candidates Side with Burns, Push for APS Investigation
Democratic Corp Comm Candidates Side with Burns, Push for APS Investigation
The two Democrats running for the Arizona Corporation Commission showed solidarity with a current Republican commissioner over an outstanding investigation into a utility’s role in the 2014 commission election, telling voters electing the bipartisan trio the best way to push the investigation forward.
Republican commissioner Bob Burns has been investigating Arizona Public Service and its parent company Pinnacle West Capital Corp., which some speculate contributed to the $3.2 million spent in support of Republican Commissioners Tom Forese and Doug Little in their 2014 campaigns through dark money groups. The utility has not confirmed or denied any involvement. Burns issued two subpoenas in August to open the companies’ books and even attempted to contract an out-of-state lawyer to conduct an investigation.
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Money from Solar Company Could Make or Break Corp Comm Race
Money from Solar Company Could Make or Break Corp Comm Race
A major rooftop solar company is spending money to help elect two candidates to the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates electric utilities.
SolarCity, through an independent expenditure committee called Save Our AZ Solar, spent about $140,000 on mailers to support Republican Commissioner Bob Burns in his reelection and Bill Mundell, a former commissioner who’s running as a Democrat, the chairman of the group, Kris Mayes, told the Arizona Capitol Times today.
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Rooftop Solar Group Backs ACC Candidates Pushing to Force APS Disclosure
Rooftop Solar Group Backs ACC Candidates Pushing to Force APS Disclosure
Posted: | Tuesday, October 11, 2016 | By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services
PHOENIX — A major manufacturer of rooftop solar units is putting $140,000 into the effort to reelect Republican Bob Burns and elect Democrat Bill Mundell to the Arizona Corporation Commission.
The disclosure Tuesday came as the five candidates for the three available seats on the panel that sets utility rates debated whether to force Arizona Public Service to disclose what it spent in 2014 to help elect two other Republicans.
Burns has issued a subpoena for the records of APS. But Attorney General Mark Brnovich has said his ability to get at the books of Pinnacle West Capital Corp. is dependent on getting of votes of three of the five commissioners.
And to date the other four Republicans have balked.
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Utility-Regulator Candidates Debate 'Dark Money', Conflicts of Interest
Utility-regulator Candidates Debate 'Dark Money,' Conflicts of Interest
Ryan Randazzo , The Republic | azcentral.com 8:18 p.m. MST October 11, 2016
Five candidates vying for three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission spent nearly half of their hourlong debate Tuesday in Phoenix arguing about "dark money" and the $3.2 million Arizona Public Service Co. is believed to have spent on the 2014 commission races.
The prospect of a monopoly utility anonymously spending money through independent political groups to elect regulators who set policies and prices for the company's electricity has dominated the 2016 campaign, just as it did in 2014.
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APS Reaches Major Solar Milestone: Tops Gigawatt of Solar Energy
APS Reaches Major Solar Milestone; Tops Gigawatt of Solar Energy
Diverse Solar Portfolio Benefits All Customers
– This summer, APS surpassed one gigawatt of solar energy capacity, becoming the only utility outside of California to achieve this milestone. When generating at full power, this capacity meets the partial daytime needs of 250,000 Arizona homes. The company’s total investment in solar energy is approximately $2 billion.
APS’s solar portfolio is almost an even split between rooftop systems and grid-scale projects, with 551 megawatts coming from rooftop systems and 499 megawatts coming from grid-scale projects.
“APS customers benefit from the fact that when you include energy from APS’s other renewable energy sources — wind, geothermal, biomass and biogas – and the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, nearly half of all the power on APS’s system is carbon-free,” said , APS Vice President of Resource Management. “A cleaner energy mix is a top priority for us, with solar playing an important role.”
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Burns, Tobin, Chabin Lead Poll for Arizona Corporation Commission
SRP's Northern Arizona Coal Plant One of the Biggest Carbon Emitters in the Country
Ryan Randazzo , The Republic | 
Two Democrats running for the Arizona Corporation Commission on Monday said they were glad the CEO of the state's biggest utility, Arizona Public Service Co., was not endorsing them.
Posted: | Tuesday, October 11, 2016 | By Howard Fischer Capitol Media Services
Five candidates vying for three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission spent nearly half of their hourlong debate Tuesday in Phoenix arguing about "dark money" and the $3.2 million Arizona Public Service Co. is believed to have spent on the 2014 commission races.
– This summer, APS surpassed one gigawatt of solar energy capacity, becoming the only utility outside of California to achieve this milestone. When generating at full power, this capacity meets the partial daytime needs of 250,000 Arizona homes. The company’s total investment in solar energy is approximately $2 billion.