Recent Articles from Evan Wyloge
Judge: No county zoning rules apply to medical pot shops
Anyone looking to open a medical marijuana dispensary in unincorporated parts of Maricopa County no longer needs zoning approval from the county, a judge ruled last week.
Defeated ‘solar team’ weighs in: ‘Chickens coming home to roost’
A year before the Arizona Corporation Commission began formally considering reductions to rooftop solar panel incentives, Arizona voters rejected three Democratic commission candidates who billed themselves as the “solar team.”
Arizona solar net metering hearings – live coverage
Live coverage of the solar net metering hearings.
Solar industry: $336k spent on net metering PR so far, another $100k planned
An advocacy group for rooftop solar companies told Arizona utility regulators today that it has spent $336,000 fighting the state’s largest utility provider over an incentive that has led to explosive growth for the solar industry in Arizona.
APS: $9 million spent on net metering, energy deregulation PR
As of September 30, Arizona Public Service’s parent organization had spent $9 million - more than every 2010 gubernatorial campaign combined - in the fight over Arizona’s solar incentives and deregulation of the utility market, according to the company’s most recent earnings report.
Utility oversight office proposes solar compromise
Arizona’s Residential Utility Consumer Office today recommended Arizona’s utility regulators to reduce solar “net metering” incentives by a fraction of what the state’s largest utility has sought in recent months.
Instead of cutting the monthly savings of solar net metering customers in half, or by around $75 each month, as Arizona Public Service has asked the state’s energy reg[...]
Utility regulator demands solar publicity receipts
Arizona Corporation Commissioner Bob Burns said today he’s “troubled” by the vicious public relations war waged by Arizona’s largest utility provider and the solar industry over future rooftop solar incentives.
He wants an accounting of the money that’s been spent so far to see whether customers have been paying for the fight. If so, it could be a violation of the utility’s[...]
ACLU sues Arizona over pot candies, sodas, balms, extracts
The American Civil Liberties Union will once more square off against Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montogomery in court over his efforts to stymie the state’s medical marijuana law – this time over pot candies, sodas and balms.
Retirees protest APS over solar incentives, call utility dishonest
The fight over Arizona’s solar industry spilled into the streets Wednesday as a group of about 40 retirees protested in front of the headquarters of Arizona Public Service, criticizing the utility for asking state regulators to reduce rooftop solar incentives.
‘Unannounced’ Vernon Parker leads Q3 fundraising in 9th District GOP race
Despite not officially announcing as a candidate, Vernon Parker led the GOP field in Arizona’s 9th Congressional District primary fundraising.
Weighing the risk
Experts say Corp. Comm. needs to dig deeper into cybersecurity threats
Hollywood might make them look easy, or give a false impression about how frequently they happen. But malicious cybersecurity threats to utilities are real, and the Arizona Corporation Commission should adapt to that reality, cyber security experts said Oct. 3.
Corporation Commission staff recommends no change to net metering system
The staff of the Arizona Corporation Commission is recommending against any immediate reduction in solar incentives for customers of the state’s largest electric utility.
A report issued late Monday urges the commission to deny the July request from Arizona Public Service Co. to reduce by 30 to 60 percent the incentives offered to customers who opt for solar panel use.