Phoenix, Ariz.— On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, Chairman Nick Myers appeared before the congressional subcommittee on Energy in Washington, D.C. to testify on various federal bills addressing critical energy issues, including load forecasting best practices, advanced transmission technology, ratepayer protections from large load costs, and regional cost allocation.

As one of four panelists participating in “AI and the Grid: Meeting Growing Power Demand While Protecting Ratepayers,” Chairman Myers discussed the steps Arizona is taking to facilitate large load growth while ensuring no costs are shifted to other ratepayers.     

“As you are fully aware, our nation is experiencing an unprecedented growth in demand for electricity,” testified Chairman Myers. “A significant part of that growth in demand is being driven by artificial intelligence, data centers, and advanced manufacturing. These are positive developments. They represent investment, innovation, economic growth, and perhaps most importantly, a strengthening of our national security.”

“The principle we in Arizona have relied on to handle large load customers is straightforward: Growth needs to pay for itself,” commented Chairman Myers. “This approach to handling large load responsibly appears to be gaining national consensus. That means when large new loads come onto the system, the infrastructure required to serve them needs to be funded by those loads. Not partially, and not over time in a way that shifts risk to other ratepayers, but fully, with real financial commitments backed by financial security instruments such as letters of credit.”

Chairman Myers concluded his testimony by emphasizing that federal efforts to address our nation’s energy needs should complement state structures rather than attempting to replace them: “States must retain their authority to ensure the system operates properly and costs are allocated fairly.”

This is the Chairman’s second time testifying before a congressional subcommittee. He previously testified before the congressional subcommittee on Energy, Climate and Grid Security on February 14, 2024, at a hearing titled, “Powered Up: State Utility Regulators on Challenges to Reliable, Affordable Electricity.”

 For more information, please contact Chairman Myers at myers-web@azcc.gov.