Open Meeting - April 08, 2026

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Arizona Corporation Commission 1h 10m 8 agenda items transcribed 3 days ago official recording ↗

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What opening invocation and pledge set the tone for the April 8, 2026 ACC meeting?

Chair 0:00

So we'll go ahead and call the April open meeting to order if you'd please please rise for an invocation from Commissioner Marcus Peterson and a pledge from Commissioner Thompson

Commissioner Marcus Peterson 0:08

Thank you. Please bow your head if you'd like Let us pause for a moment of reflection. We give thanks for this day and for the opportunity to gather in service to our community. As this season brings together the observances of Easter and Passover, we are reminded of enduring themes of hope, renewal, freedom, and redemption. May these shared values inspire us in our work, guiding us to lead with wisdom, act with integrity, and serve with humility. Help us to listen with respect, to seek common ground, and to make decisions that uplift all people in our care. May we be mindful of the responsibilities entrusted to us, and may our efforts contribute to a more just, peaceful, and hopeful future.

Commissioner Thompson 0:47

Amen.

Chair 1:08

All right. Thank you, everybody. Before we get started, I wanted to share a little bit of recent news. Today, I'd like to take a moment to recognize the dedication and service of Elijah Abina to the people of Arizona. He served the Corporation Commission for over 20 years. He recently passed away, for those of you that don't know. I believe it was just last week, right, Doug? During his time as a utility director at the commission, he played a key role in many of the complex and often difficult matters that come before this body. Public service, especially in utility regulation, is rarely simple. It involves balancing competing interests, making tough calls, and working through issues that impact people's daily lives in very real ways.

Chair 1:53

Mr. Abina was part of that process for many years, and his commitment to public service is worthy of acknowledgement. I believe it is important to recognize the time and work that Mr. Abina dedicated to this state. On behalf of the commission, I extend our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. His years of service to the people of Arizona will be remembered. So with that, I guess the first item of business is the consent agenda, and we have one item that's subject to 4252, and that is item number 13. If any of the parties to that would like to be heard, now is the time. I'm not seeing anybody and nobody online. Okay. So with that, I'll ask my fellow commissioners if there's any items currently on the consent they'd like to have moved to the regular agenda.

Chair 2:45

Nothing? Okay. So I guess the next thing is, Vice Chair Walden, will you move the item?

Vice Chair Walden 2:54

Move the consent agenda for a vote.

Chair 2:56

Okay.

Commissioner Thompson 2:57

Chair, before we cast our votes, I just want a quick comment. I want to acknowledge item number 25 on the consent agenda. That's the UNS PFAC adjustment, which will reduce customer bills by almost $19 per month on average. The commission had to make some tough decisions in 2023. to pay down the under-collected fuel balance for all of our major electric utilities. And that wasn't an easy vote for any of us to make. But it was physically the most responsible thing to do at the time, and ratepayers ended up paying less in the long run. So I want to acknowledge everyone who pushed forward the solution, because there were a lot of people who were quick to criticize that vote. But today, we can collectively sit up here before the public without the massive fuel cost debt that's hanging around our utilities necks.

Commissioner Thompson 3:57

And I just wanted to make that known. that the uns is going to be customers going to be seeing another 19 per month on average refunded back onto their or reduction on their utility bills so thank you

Chair 4:14

thank you commissioner thompson that's a great point we don't often see bills decrease but this is one of those times so with that please cast your vote for the consent

Chair 4:31

All right, and by a vote of five to zero, the consent agenda passes.

Commissioner Marcus Peterson 4:36

Everybody's going to leave.

Chair 4:46

The whole room clears out.

Chair 5:03

Wow, they've got a professional guise today, don't

Unknown 5:05

we? All right.

Chair 5:21

Okay, Vice Chair Walden, will you please move the item?