MAY 2 NEWS: ARIZONA ENERGY UPDATES

Arizona Corporation Commission Updates

• At their Open Meeting last week, commissioners discussed various pending matters including the Champion vs. APS rate rehearing case, PURPA policies, and more. 
• Commissioners heard from APS representatives, complainants, and members of the public during their discussion of the Champion vs. APS case at the meeting last week. The administrative law judge in the case recommended dismissing the case earlier this month, but also recommended that APS let customers change their plans as well as credit to customers the $5 million APS said they spent on educating customers about the rate hike impacts. Click here to learn more. Click here to view a video of the meeting. In related news, APS parent company Pinnacle West reported that its first-quarter earnings are five times higher than those of the same quarter last year. 
• The Commission voted to reject a proposal that would have implemented a 15-year mandate for PURPA contracts in the state, delaying the matter until formal hearings begin this November. Commissioners Sandra Kennedy and Justin Olson have both filed letters in the docket requesting that PURPA matters be heard earlier in the year than the November formal hearings.

AriSEIA Energy Future Conference Rescheduled

• The 2019 Arizona Energy Future: Innovation, Technology & Economic Opportunity Conference has been rescheduled for October 8-10, 2019.
• If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, click here for more details. 
• We are accepting submissions for speakers/presenters/panelists for the conference! AriSEIA welcomes contributions from academics, technologists, scientists, researchers, educators, students, engineers, architects, installers, policy developers, public officials, public agencies, advocates, and more. Click here to fill out or share the Call for Proposals. 

APS storage facility explosion still under investigation 

• The April 19 explosion at an APS battery facility has raised questions surrounding safety and expansion of battery storage and facilities in Arizona and across the country. So far, no cause has been determined. APS has paused operations at its other storage facilities while the investigation continues. 
• In February, APS announced plans to install 850 MW of storage and 100 MW of solar by 2025. The results of the investigation could potentially impact the planned expansion. 
• The ACC discussed the incident at their April 23 Open Meeting. Click here to view a video recording of the meeting. 
• Click here to learn more.