Special Open Meeting - February 19, 2026

meeting

Arizona Corporation Commission 4h 59m 8 agenda items transcribed 3 days ago official recording ↗

▲ 0

Transcript

jump: agenda · find in transcript

Transcript

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

What opening prayers and pledges are made to start the meeting?

Chair Myers 0:00

Right, good afternoon, everybody. So we are going to go ahead and call our February nineteenth special open meeting to order. Um if you'd please rise for an invocation from Commissioner Walden and the pledge from Commissioner Lopez.

Vice Chair Walden 0:15

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for this great day in this wonderful country and the opportunity that we have to serve the people of Arizona. Please help us to be wise and just today as we work through the decisions that are before us. I see these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Commissioner Lopez 0:32

Please f uh join me in reciting our pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Chair Myers 0:52

Um Commissioner Marcus Peterson uh gave us her blessing to go ahead and start. Uh she's got a uh family thing she's got to attend to, but she will be on um shortly uh remotely. Uh all right. So Vice Chair Walden, can you go ahead and move the item?

Vice Chair Walden 1:09

I move item one for discussion.

Chair Myers 1:12

Okay, Judge Martin, you're up.

Belinda Martin 1:21

Right, good good afternoon, Commissioners. Belinda Martin on behalf of the hearing division. All right. I'm trying to figure out how to do that. narrow this down. So let's just say stuff happened. All right, well that was easy. Do we go to staff now or say ahead? Um I will just say that um with the uh the pors the rate application portion, um we find that the fair value rate base is four hundred and sixty six million dollars and the recommended uh Uh return on equity is nine point seven seven, um knocked down to bargain basement of nine point five seven. Based on certain good things that the company has. Um and then for For the remainder of it. Was the consideration of the Commission's uh fair value rate plan and the company's proposed uh

Belinda Martin 2:23

Annual revenue adjuster mechanism and it finds that the the adjuster mechanism While a good idea needs some refinements to help right peers, I believe. The end. We'll just leave it at that. Everybody knows.

Chair Myers 2:40

All right. Thank you. Um Um I'll go ahead and uh ask that uh all parties as you're giving your your uh speeches, if you'll go ahead and address the amendments 'cause we got quite a few of them. So if you want to go ahead and do that while you're you're giving your your opening comments, that would be great. So Steph?

Ronel Palladino 3:02

Chair, Vice Chair, Commissioners Ronel Palladino for staff. Uh we do appreciate the ALJ's efforts in tackling this complex rate case. Um, she did a great job handling some difficult issues. And staff supports most of the recommendations in the roo. There were a few recommendations that we filed comments on on regarding uh the formula rate plan. And I think some of the amendments address those. Comments that we had. And for the most part, we support most of the amendments. And if you want to go through each one, we can do that. But we're here to answer any questions.

Chair Myers 3:36

Are there any that you don't support? You said for the most part.

Ronel Palladino 3:38

Um the one that we wouldn't support would be uh Marcus Peterson's amendment to not implement the formula rate.

Chair Myers 3:46

Gotcha. Thank you. And the company?

Michael Patton 3:51

Good morning, Mr. Chair, uh Madam Chair, Vice Chair and Commissioners. Michael Patton, Snow Womer on behalf of UNS Gas. With me here at the table is Eric Bachin, who is the president of UNS Gas. And behind me, we've got Jay Rodemacher, uh Vice President of Finance and Rates, and Chris Norman, Vice President of Regulatory. Um Mr. Bachman has some short opening comments and then I will uh address the amendments uh briefly. Uh there may be more discussion as we get to them if possible. But it is a a large number of them and I don't want to drone on. So

Eric Bachin 4:27

Great. Uh thank you, Mike. Uh good afternoon. Uh Chairman Myers, Vice Chair Walden, and Commissioners. Uh thank you for the opportunity to discuss this important rate case. Uh first we express our appreciation for the ALJ's detailed and timely recommended opinion and order. This case is a straightforward request to establish just and reasonable rates that allow UNS gas to continue providing safe, reliable, and affordable natural