FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 23, 2023
Hobbs Ignores Energy Crisis Hurting Arizonans' Financial Security Within the San Carlos Irrigation Project
PHOENIX, ARIZONA— Senate President Pro Tempore T.J. Shope is sharing extreme frustration over a lack of care, concern, and action from Governor Katie Hobbs with skyrocketing power bills detrimentally impacting residents living in the San Carlos Irrigation Project.
Citizens residing in Florence and Coolidge are being taken advantage of by the federally owned company, managed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, who in August began imposing unreasonable and drastic rate hikes on customers for electricity by more than 250% in a single month.
In an effort to quickly address this energy crisis hurting his constituents, Senator Shope joined Senator Sine Kerr and Representative Gail Griffin, Chairs of the Senate and House Committees on Natural Resources, Energy & Water, as well as Representative Teresa Martinez, in an October 3rd letter calling on Governor Hobbs to advocate for these residents by fulfilling her duty to push back against the Biden Administration and find solutions to cut these exorbitant costs. The Legislators have not heard back from the Governor, signaling her complicity with Biden's radical environmental agenda jeopardizing the financial security of Arizonans.
"As a direct result of her inaction, these citizens, many of which are living on fixed incomes, are facing the tough reality of not being able to keep the lights on in the coming months. They're being slapped with ridiculous monthly energy bills ranging from $400 to $800 for single-family homes," said Senator Shope. "By ignoring the financial pain our citizens are experiencing, Governor Hobbs is displaying she's nothing more than an accomplice in Biden's scheme to impose a radical energy agenda with unattainable environmental goals, all for political gain. Her selfish focus on politics instead of people continues to run our state into the ground and is costing Arizonans big time."
### For more information, contact: Kim Quintero Director of Communications | Arizona State Senate Republican Caucus kquintero@azleg.gov