Kris Mayes wants regulators to investigate alleged data center impact on APS customer bills
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is asking the Arizona Corporation Commission to investigate whether data center growth has shifted power costs onto APS residential and small-business customers. APS says it is committed to ensuring those customers do not pay for data center electricity, while the commission says its existing processes are examining the issue.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is seeking an investigation into claims that data center growth has increased electricity costs for Arizona Public Service customers. An analyst’s report submitted to the Arizona Corporation Commission alleges that residential and business customers may have paid more because of a cost shift associated with data center power demand.
Mayes said the commission could examine the issue during APS’s pending rate case, which includes the utility’s request for a 14% rate increase, or through another regulatory docket. He said that if the investigation finds APS overcharged customers by tens or hundreds of millions of dollars, the commission should order refunds. APS said it shares regulators’ commitment to ensuring residential and small-business customers do not pay for data center usage, while the commission pointed to its existing “growth pays for growth” principle and said staff are already reviewing the matter.