By Ryan Randazzo | Arizona Republic
The $95 million rate hike Arizona Public Service Co. imposed on 1 million customers in 2017 won’t be reversed, utility regulators decided Wednesday.
But they also refused to dismiss a complaint against that price hike brought by Phoenix resident Stacey Champion, who launched a petition against the increase last year and crowdfunded for a lawyer to spearhead the challenge.
The utility is not off the hook, though. Regulators are awaiting an audit of the company’s profits, and they seem likely to dive into the company’s finances through a new rate case rather than a redo of the 2017 case.
The 2017 rate hike was described by APS and the commission as averaging 4.5%, or $6 a month for residential customers.
All five of the Arizona Corporation Commission members said they want to drill down on whether the utility is charging too much or earning too much from Arizonans.
