Highlights
- Incumbents Thompson and Myers agreed at a May 19 Clean Elections Commission debate that data center owners must pay their own infrastructure costs.
- Myers cited a Tucson Electric Power energy services agreement tied to Project Blue as a model for shielding residential customers from large-load costs.
- Both commissioners addressed water concerns, saying large data center developers are increasingly using closed-loop cooling and treated wastewater.
- Arizona primary elections are scheduled for July 21, 2026, with Republican challengers David Marshall and Ralph Heap also in the race.
Two Republican Arizona Corporation Commission incumbents facing primary challengers this summer presented a unified front on data center cost allocation at a Citizens Clean Elections Commission debate Tuesday, each arguing that large-load customers must absorb their own infrastructure expenses rather than pass them to residential ratepayers.
Kevin Thompson and Nick Myers, who together hold two of the five seats that set utility rates for Arizona Public Service and Tucson Electric Power, told moderator Steve Goldstein that the principle has guided their tenure. "Chairman Myers and I have made very, very clear to the utilities from day one, from sitting on the dais, (that) growth pays for growth, that we're not going to allow (data center) user costs to be put on the backs of residential consumers," Thompson said.
Myers pointed to a recent energy services agreement with Tucson Electric Power tied to Project Blue as a working model. "We added a bunch of customer protections in an energy service agreement to make sure that all of their costs are going to be paid by them and not by residential (customers)," Myers said.
Who is challenging the incumbents?
Republican state lawmakers David Marshall and Ralph Heap have filed to challenge Thompson and Myers, according to ABC15. Four Republicans and three Democrats have filed paperwork for the two open seats, with the primary set for July 21, 2026.
Both incumbents also addressed water consumption. Myers said large data center developers are increasingly using closed-loop cooling systems and treated wastewater rather than drawing on Arizona's limited supply. "Water is for fighting, whiskey's for drinking," Myers said, characterizing the message commissioners have delivered to large-load customers. Thompson added that Arizona is competing with Virginia, Texas and Nevada for data center investment and currently holds the seventh most reliable grid in the nation.
Thompson was elected chair of the commission in January 2025; Myers has served as chairman since his 2022 election, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. The primary is July 21.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- ktar.com retrieved 20/05/2026 02:30
- ABC15 Arizona retrieved 20/05/2026 02:30
- Fox 10 Phoenix retrieved 20/05/2026 02:30
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 20/05/2026 02:30. Every claim traces to a source.
