PHOENIX — Arizona Corporation Commissioner Sandra Kennedy says she has unfinished business as a member of the board that regulates and sets rates for most Arizona utilities.
"I want to continue to be the voice of the people of this state. I made promises back in (20)18, to be the voice to fight for lower rates and to bring some integrity to the commission," she told ABC15.
First elected to the Commission in 2008, the Democrat lost her second bid for the seat in 2014 after Arizona Public Service secretly spent millions of dollars to promote candidates it favored to regulate them.
Once back in office in 2019 Kennedy's first order was to join former Commissioner Bob Burns in pressuring the utility to admit to its political spending.
Since then, the Commission has questioned two of the company's Chief Executive Officers, a rate case to address a controversial rate hike has been completed and the ACC voted to slash the company's return on equity.
ABC15 asked Kennedy if she believes APS has been sufficiently held accountable.
"I wouldn't say sufficiently held accountable. But I think that they have now realized that I'm watching," she said. "That's what all regulators should do is watch what these companies are doing. I don't think for one moment, that ratepayers should pay for a private jet. I don't think one moment that ratepayers should pay for bonuses. If Anything the shareholders should be doing that."
If re-elected this would be Kennedy's third term on the Commission where she has earned a reputation for her questioning style.
"I did not go there to be a friend of the entities that we regulate. I went there because the people gave me the authority by voting for me and elected me to represent them," she said.
A proponent of renewable energy, Kennedy recently voted against two natural projects, including the near billion-dollar expansion of Salt River Project's (SRP) Coolidge gas plant and Arizona Electric Power Cooperative (AEPCO) which serves parts of Southern and Northern Arizona.
While the SRP project faced staunch opposition from the surrounding community of Randolph, the AEPCO was widely welcomed by its members.
ABC15 asked Kennedy if there was any circumstance when she would approve a natural gas project.
"I think giving us an opportunity to have an input in what they're going to build, how they're going to build it, where they're going to build it. Did they have an opportunity to look at renewable energy? I want to make sure all of that is in the mix," she said. "And the cost is so important. I don't believe in giving companies a blank check."
ABC15 asked Kennedy about the safety of existing gas lines given the recent catastrophic explosions of Kinder Morgan pipeline in Coolidge and a Southwest Gas pipeline in Chandler.
"That is a huge issue for me," she said.
In May 2022, ABC15 Investigators mapped more than 140 locations of Southwest Gas pipeline degradation leaks around Arizona since 1999.
But she said she believes the companies are working to correct the problems.
"They (Southwest Gas) did come to the commission and ask for additional resources. And we denied the resources because they couldn't tell us where all those pipes were. But I think they're working very hard now to do their due diligence. And again, I will continue to ask and hopefully get the answers that we need," she said.
