Realtors Group Spending on GOP Corp Comm Candidates

By: Rachel Leingang azcapitoltimes.com October 18, 2016

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.

CANCELLED ACC Staff Meeting - October 18, 2016

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.

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.

Democratic Corp Comm Candidates Side with Burns, Push for APS Investigation

By: Arren Kimbel-Sannit October 11, 2016 | azcapitoltimes.com

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.

Money from Solar Company Could Make or Break Corp Comm Race

By: Rachel Leingang | azcapitoltimes.com | October 11, 2016 , 4:35 pm

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.

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.

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.

Burns, Tobin, Chabin Lead Poll for Arizona Corporation Commission 

 Ryan Randazzo , The Republic | azcentral.com | October 7, 2016

A recent poll shows Republicans Robert Burns and Andy Tobin, along with Democrat Tom Chabin with leads that are within the margin of error for seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Five Corporation Commissioners elected to the statewide office set rates and policies for electric, water and gas utilities, as well as oversee securities investments, railroad crossings, pipeline safety and power plant and power line siting matters in Arizona.

The biggest company they regulate is Arizona Public Service Co., the electric company with 1.1 million customers across the state, which must apply to the commission when it raises rates.

Three seats are being voted on this year, with two Democrats and three Republicans running for office and making it through the primary in August.

Regulators Grill Brooke Water Company Over Troubled Service in Arizona Town

  Ryan Randazzo, The Republic | azcentral.com 4:09 p.m. MST September 23, 2016

Arizona utility regulators on Friday initiated legal requirements to take over a troubled water company in Parker because of pipeline bursts that left taps dry for customers in August, and for recurring water-quality and customer-service complaints.

Brooke Water LLC serves about 2,000 customers in the Parker area of La Paz County, and is managed by Robert Hardcastle of Bakersfield, Calif. He also manages another water company called Circle City with about 190 customers in Maricopa County west of metro Phoenix, and he owns a 10 percent stake in both companies.

ACC Commissioner Bob Burns to Hire Attorney

Posted: Saturday, September 24, 2016 7:00 pm

By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services |

PHOENIX -- The showdown between Arizona Public Service and a state utility regulator over its records has been put off while Bob Burns shops for an attorney. 

Burns said Thursday he reached a deal of sorts with the power company to give it and its parent, Pinnacle West Capital Corp., more time to produce all the documents he subpoenaed. That also puts off Burns' demand that Don Brandt, the chief executive of both companies, submit to questioning under oath next month about political donations and other financial matters. 

But Burns said he is getting something out of the deal, too: time to find and hire an attorney. 

Burns had thought when he issued the subpoena last month he would have legal help in deciphering the documents he demanded. But those plans fell through when the other commissioners vetoed his plans to hire outside counsel. 

State Regulator Eyes Increase to Renewable Energy Standards

By DAVID LOUIS TODAY’S NEWS-HERALD|havasunews.com| September 21, 2016

Arizona’s top regulator thinks it’s time to reevaluate the state’s renewable energy portfolio standards and simplify the rules to ensure utilities comply.

Corporation Commission Chairman Doug Little recently proposed increasing the standards so that utilities would be required to get 30 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2030. The current standard is 15 percent by 2025. Additionally, electric utilities are required to meet 30 percent of the annual standard through rooftop solar instillations.

“Each year the utilities have to make incremental progress on installing renewable energy generation,” Little said. “Obviously here in Arizona because we have over 300 days of sunshine a year the 800 pound gorilla of renewable resources here is going to be solar.”