This week Attorney General Kris Mayes compelled Arizona Public Service to stop cutting off people’s power when temperatures are above 95°F.
APS would never have done this on their own. This was only done in response to a $7M settlement with APS pressed by Mayes – resolving allegations that APS violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act because of their previous disconnection policies.
There were several concessions APS made in the agreement – but the public health win is a new APS policy to stop cutting off people for nonpayment when the forecast high is 95°F or higher.
APS was earlier compelled to pause disconnections between June 1 and October 15, so this new agreement extends beyond fixed calendar dates and tying it directly to actual heat risk.
The settlement reflects a basic public health principle: align policy with risk. A temperature-based standard is better than a rigid seasonal window.
Kudos to Attorney General Mayes for pursuing this evidence based public health intervention.
You can bet your bottom dollar that the current Arizona Corporation Commission (or former AG Candidate Hamadeh) would never have gotten this out of APS.
