Arizona

Energy bills, solar power dominate Arizona Corporation Commission candidate debate

Published

1 year ago

September 27, 2024

Energy bills, solar power dominate Arizona Corporation Commission candidate debate

Fossil fuels, emissions, electricity rates and other energy topics headlined a debate among candidates seeking seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission. Six contenders are vying for three openings.

Six candidates vying for three open seats on Arizona’s utility-regulatory panel sparred on Sept. 26 over the state’s long-term energy policy, with the three Democrats urging a more rapid embrace of solar power and their three Republican counterparts stressing the need for a broader mix including natural gas to ensure reliability.

Democrats including Ylenia Aguilar attacked the current Republican-dominated Arizona Corporation Commission for allowing electricity bills to increase. One of the commission’s most visible actions earlier this year was approving a rate hike for Arizona Public Service that boosted electric bills for the utility’s residential customers by around 8% on average.

“People are suffering and can’t pay their bills,” Aguilar said.

But Republicans including Lea Marquez Peterson, the only commissioner seeking re-election in the Nov. 5 vote, said the commission sliced APS’ funding request by more than $200 million from what was requested. She also stressed the need for high energy reliability, along with the investments needed to ensure it.

Arizona can’t afford temporary power disruptions that, she said, have plagued neighboring California. “If we lost power in Arizona in the summer, it would be a life-or-death issue,” Peterson said.

Fellow Republican Rene Lopez endorsed an “all-of-the-above” approach. The energy-mix debate largely focused on natural gas plants that can run well into the evening, after the Sun sets. Aguilar complained about air pollution around metro Phoenix and said the natural-gas plants aren’t desirable near any neighborhoods. But Republican Rachel Walden noted that these generating stations can be turned on quickly, at any time of day or night.

Energy policies and APS’ rate hike dominated the debate, though the discussion also veered into water availability and the struggles facing many small water utilities in rural parts of Arizona that have been hiking rates yet, in many cases, have not made necessary infrastructure improvements. Democrat Joshua Polacheck said the dire conditions of many of these companies shows the need for “change, a different approach,” at the Commission.

Candidates from both political parties spoke out in favor of solar energy, but the enthusiasm from Republicans was more measured.

“Solar doesn’t work at night, and the wind doesn’t always blow,” Peterson said.

That drew a rebuke from Democrat Jonathan Hill, who advocates for storing solar energy during low-demand periods of the day in industrial-scale battery parks for release later, as APS, Salt River Project and other utilities are doing. “Of course we know the Sun goes down at night,” Hill remarked, sarcastically.

The hour-long program sponsored by Arizona PBS and moderated by Ted Simons, host of “Arizona Horizon,” was more cantakerous, with more interruptions, than a Sept. 2 debate involving the same six candidates and sponsored by the Arizona Clean Election Commission.

Republicans hold a 4-1 edge currently on the comisssion, with Republicans Nick Myers and Kevin Thompson not up for re-election this November. Democrats urged voters to set a new course by electing candidates from their party.

Democrat Joshua Polacheck implied that Republicans on the panel are too cozy with “rapacious corporations that are picking our pockets.” Arizona residents, he said, “know their rates have been going up.”

Republican candidate Lopez said Arizonans pay the second-lowest rates in the nation, but Hill criticized that finding because it came from WalletHub, a personal finance app that, he said, “most people have never heard of.”

Walden said it’s important to embrace a broad energy mix and to let market forces dictate prices, as that will lead to the “cheapest options.” She also said it’s important for voters to realize that utilities like APS, in their rate-application cases, are largely seeking to recoup costs on investments they already have made. And because rate cases come up only every few years on average, the increases seem larger compared to more, minor adjustments along the way, she explained.

Both sides have focused on the need to keep rates affordable for consumers and businesses while ensuring that Arizona has the power-generation capacity to support population increases and economic growth. Much of that is coming from relatively new entities such as semiconductor-plant expansions and data centers, a power-intensive industry where metro Phoenix has emerged as a national leader.

The Arizona PBS date was held on the same day that SRP and NextEra Energy Resources unveiled a new wind farm on private land halfway between Flagstaff and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. All of the clean energy from that project, enough to power around 40,000 homes, has been allocated to a new Google data center in Mesa.

Candidates from both parties largely steered clear of presidential politics, though Walden in her closing statement blamed the Biden-Harris Administration for regulations and other policies that, she said, have worsened pricing pressures in the utility industry.

Reach the writer at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.

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Arizona

Arizona Lottery Pick 3, Fantasy 5 results for March 1, 2026

Published

7 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Arizona Lottery Pick 3, Fantasy 5 results for March 1, 2026

The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Sunday, March 1, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Pick 3 numbers

6-4-2

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

01-07-11-18-28

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

12-17-23-31-37-42

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

What time is the Powerball drawing?

Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?

In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.

How to play the Powerball

To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.

To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:

5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
5 white balls = $1 million.
4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
4 white balls = $100.
3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
3 white balls = $7.
2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
1 red Powerball = $4.

There’s a chance to have your winnings increased two, three, four, five and 10 times through the Power Play for an additional $1 per play. Players can multiply non-jackpot wins up to 10 times when the jackpot is $150 million or less.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All Arizona Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $100 and may redeem winnings up to $599. For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Arizona Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to P.O. Box 2913, Phoenix, AZ 85062.

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:

Phoenix Arizona Lottery Office: 4740 E. University Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4400. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Phoenix Sky Harbor Lottery Office: Terminal 4 Baggage Claim, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85034, 480-921-4424. Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Kingman Arizona Lottery Office: Inside Walmart, 3396 Stockton Hill Road, Kingman, AZ 86409, 928-753-8808. Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes up to $49,999.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Arizona

Here’s how to give public comment on future Colorado River plans

Published

20 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Here’s how to give public comment on future Colorado River plans

PHOENIX — After years of negotiations, Arizona still doesn’t know what its long-term water future will look like, and now the federal government is preparing to step in.

States across the Colorado River Basin have failed to reach a deal on how to share the shrinking river after current operating rules expire in 2026. With no state-led agreement in place, federal officials are moving forward with their own plan, one that could bring steep cuts to Arizona’s water supply.

And for Arizonans, the clock is ticking to weigh in. Public comment remains open until March 2. To submit your comment on what the government should do, send your comments in email to crbpost2026@usbr.gov.

Additional information is available online. The project website can be accessed here, along with links to YouTube videos published by the government, recorded in January and February which walk through of the options available.

Many Arizona leaders have already offered their public comments, which are overwhelmingly negative.

“We were very disappointed with that document,” said Brenda Burman, the Central Arizona Project General Manager “If any of those alternatives were implemented, it would be very difficult, and perhaps devastating for Arizona.”

Arizona’s top Colorado River negotiator, Tom Buschatzke, echoed those concerns.

“None of those alternatives are very good for the state of Arizona,” Buschatzke said. “I’m not seeing how we’re going to break that stalemate.”

Congressman Juan Ciscomani also criticized the proposals, saying the impacts of Colorado River cuts extends into Pinal, and Pima counties.

“That’s not an acceptable solution for us,” Ciscomani said. “We want to play ball, but we want to make sure everyone across the board uses less and becomes more efficient.”

Some of the federal alternatives would reduce Arizona’s Colorado River supply by 40%, 50%, or in the most extreme case up to 70%.

Experts at ASU Kyl Center for Water Policy say part of the problem lies upstream.

“The reason for this current impasse is because the upper basin states have refused to take cuts in their Colorado River use,” said Sarah Porter, the center’s director.

Upper Basin states like Colorado and Utah rely on different water rules than Arizona and other Lower Basin states, complicating negotiations that have dragged on for years.

Arizona has already been living with cuts for several years. Since 2021, the state has faced an 18% reduction in Colorado River water deliveries due to a Tier 1 shortage declaration. Most of those cuts have fallen on Central Arizona Project users, including agriculture and some tribal communities.

Buschatzke argues that pushing Arizona into deeper reductions would violate long-standing Western water law.

“We will be protecting the state of Arizona,” he said. “And if that has to be litigation, it will be litigation.”

That means a lawsuit against the federal government, or upper basin states is now a real possibility if the final plan moves forward unchanged. The state legislature has put $3 million in a state fund for potential litigation on the Colorado River.

After the comment period closes, the federal government is required to review public feedback and issue a formal ‘Record of Decision’, likely sometime this summer. Advocacy groups say public feedback matters.

“I just encourage Arizonans to look at this document, understand what that means for your family, your businesses, and what it means for the future,” said Kyle Roerink of the Great Basin Water Network. “Then figure out if you want to advocate for one scenario over another.”

A new operating plan must be in place by October 1, setting the rules for how the Colorado River will be managed for years to come, and shaping Arizona’s water future in the process.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Arizona

Arizona Lottery Powerball, The Pick results for Feb. 28, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

The Arizona Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers

06-20-35-54-65, Powerball: 10, Power Play: 4

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning The Pick numbers

09-12-15-25-31-35

Check The Pick payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Pick 3 numbers

6-1-8

Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Fantasy 5 numbers

07-10-22-30-36

Check Fantasy 5 payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Triple Twist numbers

08-09-14-17-30-41

Check Triple Twist payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news and results

What time is the Powerball drawing?

Powerball drawings are at 7:59 p.m. Arizona time on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

How much is a Powerball lottery ticket today?

In Arizona, Powerball tickets cost $2 per game, according to the Arizona Lottery.

How to play the Powerball

To play, select five numbers from 1 to 69 for the white balls, then select one number from 1 to 26 for the red Powerball.

You can choose your lucky numbers on a play slip or let the lottery terminal randomly pick your numbers.

To win, match one of the 9 Ways to Win:

5 white balls + 1 red Powerball = Grand prize.
5 white balls = $1 million.
4 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $50,000.
4 white balls = $100.
3 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $100.
3 white balls = $7.
2 white balls + 1 red Powerball = $7.
1 white ball + 1 red Powerball = $4.
1 red Powerball = $4.

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a winner claim form and deliver the form, along with the ticket and government-issued ID to any of these locations:

Tucson Arizona Lottery Office: 2955 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716, 520-628-5107. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed holidays. This office can cash prizes of any amount.

Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://www.arizonalottery.com/.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arizona Republic editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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