News Release
Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson Applauds $50 Million Energy Efficiency Package to Help Families, Nonprofits, Schools During COVID-19
REMOTELY FROM TUCSON - Arizona Corporation Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson celebrated the passing of Arizona Public Service Company’s 2020 energy efficiency implementation plan last Thursday, which authorized $51.9 million in programs that will help Arizona families and small businesses save money during the economic challenges faced by COVID-19.
“Energy efficiency programs are one of the best ways for APS to provide value back to their customers, as every dollar spent on an energy efficiency program returns $5 in value back to the customer,” said Márquez Peterson. “I was happy to support Arizonans during this challenging time and provide more modern and meaningful ways APS customers can lower their energy usage during the times of day that typically cost Arizonans the most.”
On September 1st, 2020, Commissioner Márquez Peterson wrote a letter to APS requesting the company utilize its pending energy efficiency programs as a Customer Relief Package to prioritize efforts such as limited-income home weatherization, energy efficient HVAC systems, and smart thermostats--all of which are related to addressing seasonal weather demands--to help provide immediate short-term and long-term relief for families in need.
The Commission passed the company’s proposal for the first time in three years, which was approved to provide APS customers with the tools and resources necessary to provide financial relief during these challenging times. Eligible customers include residential households as well as small businesses and nonprofits, schools and hospitals, and rural tribes and impacted communities. Highlights from the final plan include the following programs for customers:
- $9,000 per household for limited income weatherization;
- A 500% increase to the incentive to replace old, inefficient HVAC units;
- $50 incentive for joining the APS “Cool Rewards” demand response program; and
- Incentives for smart thermostats, connected pool pumps, and smart water heaters.
Commissioner Márquez Peterson also requested that the benefits intended for impacted tribal communities, such as the Navajo Nation and Hopi Tribe, be made effective immediately, rather than at an unknown date in the future. The company accommodated Commissioner Márquez Peterson’s request, which will help communities impacted by the early closure of power plants.
“This decision was about providing the greatest return on investment for Arizona’s families and maximizing our trajectory in the state’s economic recovery. I look forward to reviewing ways the Commission can continue to incentivize ongoing investments in energy efficiency technologies, going forward, without requiring additional surcharges on customers’ bills.”
For more information on APS’s energy efficiency programs and incentives please visit APS’s website, here:
https://www.aps.com/en/Residential/Save-Money-and-Energy/Home-Energy-Checkup.
For a link to Commissioner Márquez Peterson’s letter to APS, click here:
Letter to APS from Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson
For links to Commissioner Márquez Peterson’s press releases, click here:
Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson Proposes $50M Customer Relief Package for APS Customers;
La Comisaria Lea Márquez Peterson Propone Un Acuerdo de $50M Para Los Costumbres de APS
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About Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson, MBA, IOM:
Commissioner Lea Márquez Peterson was appointed to the Arizona Corporation Commission by Governor Doug Ducey in May of 2019. She is the first Latina to serve in a statewide seat in the state of Arizona. Lea has been an entrepreneur in our community for many years and served as the President/ CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber from 2009 until November of 2018. The Tucson Hispanic Chamber serves the business community in the bilingual, bi-cultural region of the Arizona-Sonora border and was recognized as the Hispanic Chamber of the Year in 2013 by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Lea is proud to have won a four-way primary race for Congress in Arizona Congressional District 2 in 2018. Prior to her leadership at the Chamber, she previously served as the Executive Director for Greater Tucson Leadership (GTL) from 2005 to 2009 and owned and operated a Business Brokerage Firm from 2005 to 2009 and a chain of six gasoline stations / convenience stores with 50 employees from 1998 to 2005 in the Tucson region. Lea has been appointed to serve on the Arizona Judicial Council which advises the Arizona Supreme Court and the Arizona Finance Authority, the state’s bonding authority. She chairs the Board of Directors of Carondelet’s St Mary’s and St Joseph’s Hospitals in Tucson and is the former Chair of the Pima Association of Governments’ Economic Vitality Committee. She serves on the Boards of the University of Arizona Foundation and the Pima County Workforce Investment Board and is the President of the National Association of Women Business Owners in Tucson. She also serves on the national Small Business Development Council advisory board for the U.S Small Business Administration. She received her undergraduate degrees in Marketing and Entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona, and her Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. She resides in Tucson and is married with two children. Twitter:@LeaPeterson LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/leamarquezpeterson/ The Arizona Corporation Commission was established by the state’s constitution to regulate public utilities and business incorporation. The Corporation Commission is Arizona’s co-equal, fourth branch of government. The five Commissioners elected to the Corporation Commission oversee executive, legislative, and judicial proceedings on behalf of Arizonans when it comes to their water, electricity, telephone, and natural gas resources as well as the regulation of securities, pipeline, and railroad safety. To learn more about the Arizona Corporation Commission and its Commissioners, visit |