Republican Bob Burns, a perennial thorn in the side of the state’s biggest utility, will serve as the next chairman of the Arizona Corporation Commission following a vote by his fellow utility regulators on Monday.
As chairman, Burns will set the agenda for the commission and preside over its public meetings, including an eventual vote on whether a controversial2017 rate hike needs to be reconsidered in light of a challenge from customers.
Burns did not address it in his public comments Monday, which mostly thanked his wife and supporters, but he has a years-long history of fighting with Arizona Public Service Co. and its parent company, Pinnacle West Capital Corp.
