(Disclosure: Rose Law Group represents Green Mountain Energy, a company looking to provide energy choice and 100% renewable energy options to Arizona consumers.)
By Laurie Roberts | Arizona Republic
In August, a Texas company applied to the Arizona Corporation Commission for permission to compete with Arizona Public Service and Tucson Electric Power, giving us captive customers a choice in who provides our electricity.
The state’s monopoly utilities were not amused.
And so, as night follows day, the Arizona Legislature is now charging forth with a plan to block the competition.
This, by repealing a state law that allows other electricity providers to give the big guys a run for their money.
It is a necessary step, the monopoly utilities assure us, to ensure that service remains reliable and affordable.
Funny, I’m pretty sure Ma Bell said the same thing a half century ago. Back when phones were bolted to walls and had these strange curly wires attached to them, when you talked fast when calling long distance because of the resulting exodus from your wallet.
Law says we ‘shall’ have competition
For two decades, Arizona has had laws in place to allow for competition in who provides the electricity that powers our homes and businesses. In fact, the law flatly says, “a competitive market shall exist.”
It just never materialized, thanks to a court decision challenging the rules to implement that law and a powerful utility lobby that would just as soon not have anyone intrude on its turf, thankyouverymuch.
There was an attempt by the Arizona Corporation Commission to revisit deregulation in 2013 but it was abruptly shelved when APS frowned.
Fast forward to August, when Texas-based Green Mountain Energy applied to the commission to begin selling what they say will be 100% renewable energy plans to APS and Tucson Electric customers. The company already operates in seven states, with licenses in four others, and estimates it’ll have 20,000 Arizona customers within five years.
“HB2101 and SB1631 are bills hand written by Arizona’s monopoly utilities in an effort to protect their monopolies and make sure consumers can never ever pick their energy provider. The bills have something for everyone to hate and not only do they kill competition, and take away consumer choice forever, they also help SRP stop rooftop solar adoption and will stall renewable energy adoption in our state. This is why everyone from the Goldwater Institute to the Sierra Club have registered opposition to these bad bills.”
–Court Rich, Rose Law Group Co-Founder and attorney for Green Mountain Energy
