Democrats target Arizona utility panel as electricity costs become a top voter issue

Two seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission, the body that regulates electric utilities and rate hikes, are up for election in November, with Democrats hoping voter frustration over rising bills helps unseat the current all-Republican panel. A February poll found 84 percent of Arizonans worried about electricity costs, and Democratic lawmakers used a virtual roundtable this week to connect that anxiety to the ballot.

Rep. Adelita Grijalva tied the cost pressure to a broader list including surging home insurance premiums, which have risen more than 70 percent in Arizona since 2020, and blamed Trump administration tariffs and the Iran war for driving up building costs. A Center for American Progress analyst added that the Department of Energy's January cancellation of a $1.8 million loan for an Arizona Public Service battery storage project will cost ratepayers an estimated $1.5 billion through 2028.

Democrats are casting the commission race as part of a larger push to push back against the administration's energy policy, hoping the same voter frustration helps flip the U.S. House in competitive Arizona districts.

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