This week, attorneys general from across the country will gather in Scottsdale for the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) Policy Conference — offering an opportunity to discuss the challenges people are facing nationwide. As the top enforcement authorities for their respective states, the convening will provide a space to host conversations on topics ranging from the need to protect consumers and hold powerful interests accountable for wrongdoing to strategies for keeping their states competitive in a rapidly changing economy. However, for many Arizonans, one issue stands at the center of all three concerns: the need for access to affordable and reliable energy.

Across the state, Arizonans are facing an affordability crisis, and as seemingly everything else has gotten more expensive, new surges in energy costs have become a top concern. At the same time, the need for abundant, reliable, and affordable energy has never been more critical. As states across the country compete for massive investments from growing sectors like the tech industry and advanced manufacturing, having the power needed to fuel that opportunity is vital. 

Amid this push and pull over energy, the state’s largest utilities have seemingly acted without the best interests of Arizonans in mind. Take, for example, APS, our largest utility, which this summer filed with the Arizona Corporation Commission to raise rates on Arizonans by an astonishing 14% after an additional 16% increase the past two years. In an attempt to justify the increase, they worked to explain the spike by casting blame on data centers, manufacturing, and other industries, despite the significant role these sectors play in generating localized economic growth and job creation statewide. 

In calling their bluff, Attorney General Kris Mayes filed and was later granted a motion to intervene on behalf of Arizona’s ratepayers, arguing that the move would raise APS’s NET revenue by more than $580 million annually, “directly from the pockets of Arizona consumers and businesses.” All the while, APS’s holding company, Pinnacle West, recorded over $600 million in NET revenue just last year. 

As this plays out and Arizona’s energy prices grow increasingly unpredictable, we risk losing our competitive edge in the race for investment. Whether it’s the semiconductor boom, electric-vehicle manufacturing, or the growth of artificial intelligence and cloud computing, companies are making choices about where to expand based on access to stable, predictable power. Without it, we could see opportunities quickly move elsewhere, and, in this moment of national economic uncertainty, we cannot afford to let that happen. 

What’s more, the idea that new advanced industries are to blame simply doesn’t hold up. Recently released national research commissioned by the Department of Energy highlights that the three main factors driving energy prices today are extreme weather events, an aging grid, and the energy transition. In fact, in Arizona, the very industries that the largest utilities seek to scapegoat are the same ones investing in grid resilience and affordability.  

With Attorney General Mayes set to host a panel at DAGA on protecting consumers amid an evolving energy policy landscape, it’s opportune that we recognize the importance of this moment. Arizona’s regulators should hold utilities accountable for price gouging consumers and scapegoating residential customers. I applaud AG Mayes for her work, and I hope to see her peers take a similar approach to ensure that they protect both consumers and the economic growth powering the next chapter for their communities.

Lauren Kuby is an Arizona state senator representing parts of Tempe, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Mesa and SRP-MIC.