Public Comment to ACC – APS Electric Bills

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ACTION KIT: SUPPORT ARIZONA’S CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE

What’s at Stake: Renewable energy and energy efficiency are key for preventing pollution, reducing our electricity costs, cleaning our air, and addressing our climate crisis. In November, utility regulators at the Arizona Corporation Commission took an important step by voting to send a comprehensive set of new clean energy policies — called their “Energy Rules” — to formal rulemaking. If finalized, these rules will require Arizona’s utilities to deliver 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050 (with benchmarks along the way), invest in more energy efficiency and energy storage, and make utility planning processes more transparent. As part of the Commission’s formal rule-making process, virtual public comment sessions will be held at 10 a.m. MT on Tues., Jan. 19th and Wed., Jan. 20th.

  • It is critical that Arizona’s five elected Commissioners hear from you so that they know Arizonans want these rules finalized and implemented right away!
  • Even if you have weighed in before, it is important that you weigh in again so that your comments make it into the official record.

THREE ACTION ITEMS – THINGS YOU CAN DO:  

  • Speak in support of the Energy Rules at 10 a.m. MT on Tuesday, January 19th or Wednesday, January 20th
  • Submit written comments in support of the Energy Rules by Friday, January 22nd
  • Tweet in support of the Energy Rules on Friday, January 15

 ACTION ITEM #1 – SPEAK – 10 a.m. on Tues., Jan. 19th or Wed., Jan. 20th

  • CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK at telephonic hearing (scroll down the page) :
    • Jan. 19th Rulemaking Hearing.  To participate dial 1-888-450-5996. Passcode to participate 457395# Passcode to listen only 4208475#
    • Jan. 20th Rulemaking Hearing.  To participate dial 1-888-450-5996  Passcode to participate 457395#  Passcode to listen only 4208475#
  • Both public comment sessions begin at 10:00 a.m. MT, but we recommend that you call in 15 minutes early to secure an upfront speaking slot
  • Use this phone number and passcode: 1-888-450-5996, 457395#
  • See the sample talking points below for some ideas on what to say.

ACTION ITEM #2 – SUBMIT WRITTEN COMMENTS by Friday Jan. 22nd

  • SUBMIT COMMENTS TO THE COMMISSION  
  • OR mail your comments directly to the Commission at: Arizona Corporation Commission, c/o Docket Control, 1200 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007. Make sure that your letter references Docket Number RU-00000A-18-0284 and arrives on or before January 22nd.
  • See the sample letter below for some ideas on what to write

ACTION ITEM #3 – TWEET On Friday, Jan. 15th 

  • A tweet takes less than a minute.
  • Tweet at Commissioners and the Arizona Corporation Commission: Mention at least one Commissioner and/or the Commission as a whole: @CorpCommAZ, @AnnaTovarAZ, @LeaPeterson, @SandraDKennedy, @joconnoraz, @_JustinOlson
  • See the sample tweets below for some ideas on what to post
    • Hey @CorpCommAZ, we need #AZcleanenergy rules to address climate change & promote healthy communities in AZ!
    • A #renewable #energyefficient grid is our safest, most cost-effective option to power Arizona’s future. @CorpCommAZ must adopt #Azcleanenergy rules now @LeaPeterson @AnnaTovarAZ
    • Thanks to #EnergyEfficiency APS customers have saved more than 13 billion gallons of water since 2010. @SandraDKennedy, @LeaPeterson, @AnnaTovarAZ: Let’s finalize the #Azcleanenergy rules ASAP!
    • Climate justice means an equitable transition to clean energy and transparent, accountable, and inclusive utility planning. The #AZcleanenergy rules will help get AZ on track @CorpCommAZ.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT

 GENERAL TIPS

  • Plan to speak for no more than 3 minutes.
  • Keep your comments brief, simple, and to the point.
  • It is unlikely that you will be asked a question. If you are, you should respond based on your personal It is perfectly fine to say, “I don’t know” or “I will get back to you.”

SAMPLE FORMAT FOR MAKING PUBLIC COMMENT

  1.  INTRODUCE YOURSELF
  •  State your name, where you live, and who you represent (e.g. yourself, a small business owner, a customer of Arizona Public Service, etc.)
  1. EXPLAIN YOUR PURPOSE… for example:
  •  These rules will help our state get back on track and re-establish itself as a leader in clean renewable energy and energy efficiency. I encourage their adoption.
  • I support the adoption of the Commission’s Energy Rules so that we reduce carbon emissions, address our climate crisis, clean up our air, conserve our water, and improve the health of our communities.
  • I support the Commission’s Energy Rules which call for 100% carbon-free electricity, greater investments in energy efficiency and storage, and improvements to the utility resource planning process.
  • I support the Commission’s Energy Rules which were developed after years of study, more than a dozen public meetings, thousands of written comments, and hundreds of hours of engagement by interested Arizonans like me. 
  1. PICK TALKING POINTS THE ISSUES YOU CARE ABOUT OR MAKE UP YOUR OWN POINTS
  • Energy efficiency and renewable energy are the cheapest options available now. They help us control utility costs, create jobs, and build a cleaner energy future. We need more renewable energy and energy efficiency to clean up our air and save us money.
  • Energy efficiency creates jobs. These jobs pay well, are local, and are in hands-on fields like installation, so they cannot be easily outsourced. We need more jobs like these.
  • Renewable energy is good for Arizona. It keeps electricity costs lower, consistent, predictable, and reliable over the long term. This is what Arizona needs for its economy, and it’s what ratepayers want.
  • Renewables keep our communities healthy. There’s nothing more important than the air we breathe and the water we drink, and renewable energy conserves our precious resources, reducing pollution and emissions that contribute to climate change.
  • I support increased investments in distributed solar storage, so that customers have more ways to save money on their electric bills.
  • The Commission’s Energy Rules include preferential siting of renewable energy projects in communities impacted by the early closure of coal-fired power plants. This provision is essential to ensure that we support a just and equitable transition to clean energy.
  • The utilities’ long-term plans are critical to setting the direction our state takes relative to clean energy, which is why the process for developing these plans should be transparent, accountable, and inclusive as the Energy Rules require.
  • These rules have been vetted by dozens of consumer, environmental, faith-based, and low-income organizations and have been crafted with bi-partisan support. We must not delay their passage and implementation 
  1. ASK AND THANK 
  • Thank you for your time today
  • I urge the Commission to act as quickly as possible to finalize and implement these important rules. 

SAMPLE LETTER 

Re: Support for Clean Energy Rules, Docket No. RU-00000A-18-0284

Dear Arizona Corporation Commissioners:

As an Arizona resident, I support adoption of clean energy rules to reduce carbon emissions to help address climate change, clean up our air, conserve our water, and promote healthy and economically vibrant communities. We need a Clean Energy Standard that will require a 100% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, 75% by 2040, and 50% by 2032. I also support the increase in energy efficiency requirements and distributed solar the rule includes, plus preferential siting of renewable resources in coal-impacted communities and a transparent and accountable planning process.

These rules will help get our state on track and re-establish it as a leader in clean renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Thank you for considering my comments,

First name Last name
City or Town, AZ