Arizona attorney general intervenes to stop electric rate hike

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(The Center Square) - The Arizona Corporation Commission granted Attorney General Kris Mayes and others an intervention into the Arizona Public Service’s plan to raise electrical rates. 

According to Arizona law, a grant of intervention allows third parties to join a lawsuit if they have a legal interest in the affected outcome. In this particular case, Mayes and others are intervening in the commission's review of the rate increase.

APS, a company that says it's Arizona’s largest electric service provider, announced in June that it planned to raise electrical rates in the second half of 2026 by 14%. This is expected to increase Arizonans' electric bills by around $20, an APS press release notes. 

An Arizona Corporation Commission hearing will be held on May 18, 2026, to discuss APS’ proposed rate increase.  

After getting the intervention this week, Mayes said Arizona residents are “feeling squeezed by sky-high electric bills, and now APS is trying to jack them up even further.” 

Giving this company another rate increase is “outrageous” and something she “will not stand for” after APS made over $600 million in net income in 2024, Mayes explained.

APS is attempting to “pad corporate profits at the expense of Arizona consumers," the Democratic attorney general said.

“After years of steady rate hikes, it’s unacceptable that this monopoly utility thinks it's okay to take more of Arizonans' hard-earned money,” she said.

Last year, APS raised its rates by 8%, resulting in an average increase of $10.50 per month in monthly electrical bills. 

When APS announced its rate hike, Ted Geisler, APS’ CEO, said the company was trying to “keep [its] costs down as much as [it] can, while giving customers, programs and choices to help them manage their bills.”

“Reliability isn’t optional. It's essential, especially in Arizona. We must ensure the power is there when our customers need it most, and we thank them for trusting us with their energy needs. That is what this rate case and proposed adjustment are about,” Geisler explained. 

APS said the increased rates would go toward system upgrades, smart electrical grid technology, power plant upgrades and programs that help protect the electrical grid from severe weather. 

If APS gets its rate hike approved by the Arizona Corporation Commission, then it will increase its revenue by almost $580 million yearly, KJZZ reported. 

Mayes noted APS has a “monopoly and should not be allowed to exploit that monopoly on the backs of Arizona consumers.”

Arizona residents pay more in electrical bills than in 38 other states, 12 News reported. 

APS says it gives electricity to 1.4 million businesses and homes in 11 of the Arizona’s 15 counties.