Arizona's Energy Future: Kevin Thompson on Keeping Rates Low and Reliable

Arizona Corporation Commission Chairman Kevin Thompson joined Kathleen Winn to discuss the commission's role in regulating utilities and recent decisions aimed at protecting ratepayers.

The Arizona Corporation Commission oversees nearly all non-municipal utilities in the state, including Tucson Electric Power (TEP), Arizona Public Service (APS), Southwest Gas, private propane providers, and approximately 220 private water companies. This accounts for 98% of the commission's work. The remaining efforts include assisting with business formations, operating a Securities Division to combat fraud, and maintaining railroad and pipeline safety inspections.

Thompson highlighted a major recent action: eliminating the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff (REST) rules and energy efficiency mandates originally implemented between 2001 and 2010. These rules had cost Arizona ratepayers over $3 billion since inception.

"We don't like the mandates because when you mandate something to a utility, it's an automatic blank check," Thompson explained. The mandates required utilities to generate a specific percentage of power from renewables, allowing automatic cost recovery. Many programs primarily benefited median- and high-income households while being paid for by fixed-income and vulnerable residents.

In a separate vote, the commission cut $51 million from APS's energy efficiency program, with ongoing scrutiny of TEP's proposals.

Addressing perceptions that the commission simply hands utilities blank checks, Thompson pushed back firmly. "It's actually just the opposite," he said, noting that the Arizona Constitution allows utilities to recover reasonable costs for providing service, but the commission rigorously examines those costs through an 18-month rate case process involving hearings, interveners, the Residential Utility Consumer Office, and final commissioner review.

Thompson emphasized that no ratepayer dollars currently fund renewable projects built by utilities. "One of the first things we did was meet with utilities and told them that they can no longer use ratepayer dollars to own or build renewable projects," he stated. New renewables are financed through private equity on state or private lands and must compete in an all-source request for proposal to prove they are the cheapest, most reliable option—regardless of fuel type.

Arizona's Energy Outlook and the Push for Reliable Baseload Power

On the state's energy health, Thompson placed Arizona in the middle nationally—far better than California but still addressing lingering issues from past policies.

Previous commissions, including some Republican-led ones, overemphasized renewables at the expense of baseload generation. The sudden surge in AI-driven power demand has exposed this shortfall nationwide.

"We're putting rules in place that everyone has to play by," Thompson said. A core principle: development must pay for itself. Large users like AI data centers and manufacturers cannot shift infrastructure costs onto residential consumers.

APS has adjusted its carbon-neutral rhetoric, delaying targets and exploring extensions for coal plants or conversions to natural gas for another 20–25 years of service. The utility recently announced plans for two gigawatts of new natural gas combined-cycle plants in the West Valley.

This "pay-to-play" model is unique: the first 200–300 megawatts will feed the grid at no cost to existing customers, while the remainder will be subscribed by large users who cover construction costs.

Nationwide energy costs rose 6.5% recently, but Arizona saw only a 1.7% increase. "We're doing our job—we're keeping our prices as low as we possibly can," Thompson concluded.

LD17 House Race: Kirk Fiehler on Turning Out Republican Voters

Kirk Fiehler, candidate for Legislative District 17 House alongside incumbent Rachel Mitchell, discussed the importance of the 2026 elections.

LD17 is one of Arizona's reddest districts at plus-nine Republican, yet Democrats flipped a seat in the last cycle through single-shot voting and low Republican turnout.

"We lost a seat in a plus-nine district to a Democrat," Fiehler noted. Many Republicans voted for only one House candidate, effectively halving their impact.

Fiehler stressed voter education: "Vote for two, vote for two." He also called for outreach to independents, who now hold significant sway, especially in Pima County where Democrats lead in registration followed by independents then Republicans.

The 2026 cycle is critical for Arizona. "This one coming up in '26 is going to be probably the most important one for Arizona," Fiehler said. A Republican governor, legislature, and statewide offices are essential to drive growth and prevent the state from sliding toward Colorado-style policies.

Democrats are targeting five legislative districts aggressively, including LD17. Losing the legislature while Governor Katie Hobbs remains in office would accelerate negative changes, Fiehler warned.

He highlighted fiscal accountability concerns: federal funds flow directly to the governor's office without legislative oversight, creating opportunities for waste and fraud seen in other states.

Fiehler runs Jackson Hewitt tax service locations in southern Arizona and brings budget-management experience. "If I ran my business like the government runs their business, we would have been bankrupt," he said.

Voters can sign Fiehler's petition at azsos.gov and learn more at kirkfiehler.com.

Tucson Crime Update: Josh Jacobsen on Rising Homicides and Recent Arrest

Josh Jacobsen of the Tucson Crime Free Coalition provided a year-end assessment of local crime trends.

While national homicide rates decline, Tucson's are increasing. Tucson Police Department continues strong enforcement, recovering drugs and stolen merchandise and apprehending prohibited possessors.

The core issues remain drugs and lack of accountability in prosecution and around public transit used for trafficking and robbery.

Jacobsen highlighted a recent violent incident at a Goodwill donation center on Valencia Road, where two workers were shot during an apparent robbery. One victim remains in serious but stable condition; the other fights for life.

The coalition live-streamed a press conference with the victims' families, Goodwill representatives, and Pima County Sheriff's Department. Public tips led to the early-morning arrest of 40-year-old Adrian William Orozco by SWAT without incident.

"This is a situation where they got the bad guy," Jacobsen said, crediting community tips and detective overtime.

Jacobsen also discussed the November cleanup of the 100 Acre Woods encampment, long a major drug hub. Undercover operations removed key dealers, and the site was permanently cleared. Few residents accepted services, underscoring persistent challenges with chronic homelessness and substance use.

Outreach efforts reveal dire conditions: open drug markets, gang control, victimization, and service resistance. Systemic barriers in the homeless support network hinder progress.

"Is there a true desire to fix the homeless fentanyl epidemic?" Jacobsen asked, noting parallels to border policy successes when political will exists.

Visit tucsoncrimefree.com for more.

Fighting Communism's Legacy: Jack Dona Shares Family History

Tucson police officer Jack Dona announced an upcoming Conservative Family Town Hall in Willcox and shared his family's story.

The event, hosted by Cochise County Conservatives, takes place Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon at Extended Hands Church, 151 West Wasson Street in Willcox. Speakers include Dona, Katarina White of Arizona Right to Life, Kristen Pruitt of Turning Point Action, and LD19 House candidate Cheryl Caswell.

Dona, whose full name is Fernando Jack Dona, will speak about his family's fight against communism. His father escaped communist Nicaragua. Dona himself is named after his uncle Fernando, the eldest of 17 children, drafted in 1950 and sent to Korea with Task Force Smith.

Assigned to hold Taejon, his uncle was captured, endured the Tiger Death March, and was executed November 2, 1950, when he could no longer walk. His remains are still in North Korea.

"The end result is what happened to my uncle," Dona said. "It becomes an ideology that is forced by the barrel of a gun."

Dona warned against viewing communism as harmless social experimentation offering "free stuff," emphasizing its ultimate cost in freedom and human life.

"There's no place to escape to," he concluded. "This is it."