Sedona AZ (August 29, 2017) – The following is a letter to the SedonaEye.com editor:

Information & Perspective by Warren Woodward
Sedona, Arizona ~ August 29, 2017

          Today I filed an “Application for Rehearing” at the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). That’s ACC legalese for an appeal.

The ACC is tasked with the responsibility to protect AZ ratepayers by weighing the costs and benefits of all state utility requests.

I did not appeal the entire APS rate case decision (which still does not include anything involving “smart” meters). I only appealed the mandatory 90 day social engineering period that APS and the ACC want to inflict on new APS customers.

APS and the ACC want all new APS customers to spend their first 90 days on either a Time of Use rate or Demand/Time of Use rate.

1) The ACC has the authority to set rates but not to place people on those rates.
2) Denying rates to some customers that are available to others is blatant, illegal discrimination.
3) Those who can least afford it will be financially and socially punished by TOU or Demand/TOU.

I wasn’t going to appeal this because I felt I needed to stay focused on “smart” meter issues. But it’s such a gross usurpation of power, such obvious discrimination, and such a glaring injustice that I had to do it. And I especially had to do it since none of the other Intervenors who have budgets for this and who had written and spoken against it (such as AARP and the Southwest Energy Efficient Project) would.

The ACC now has 20 days to respond. If they don’t respond, the application is deemed denied. If the application is denied, the next step is do nothing or go to the Court of Appeals.

Don’t miss the latest ACC scandal. These guys would be great comedy if it wasn’t so serious.

I love this bit:

“Any person who gave me a contribution, when I had a chance to talk to them, I made very clear that whatever contribution you make will not make any difference at all in what I decide,” Dunn said. “My decision will be based on the law and it will be based on the best interests of the ratepayers.”

Of course! Sure! Everyone knows politics always works that way, and that political donations don’t mean a thing. That’s why corporations make so few of them.

Read all about it here: http://www.azcentral.com/story/money/business/energy/2017/08/29/utility-regulators-consider-giving-service-territory-campaign-donors/604327001/

Warren Woodward
Sedona AZ

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