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Tucson Electric Power Executive Addresses Common Misconceptions About Utility Operations
A former longtime Tucson Electric Power (TEP) executive has challenged several widely circulated claims about the utility’s operations, rates, and environmental commitments in an effort to correct what he describes as persistent misinformation.
Todd Hixon, who recently retired after a 27-year career at TEP serving in various legal, regulatory and executive positions, points to five specific misconceptions that have appeared in multiple opinion pieces about the company.
Contrary to claims of “skyrocketing rates,” Hixon notes that TEP’s rates have increased by approximately 2 percent annually over the past 25 years, significantly below inflation. The average residential bill in 2025 remains around $140, unchanged from 2023 levels. This places TEP customers well below the national average of $190 per month, highlighting the company’s focus on affordability despite seasonal fluctuations during Arizona’s hot summers.
Hixon also refutes assertions that TEP has neglected clean energy investments. Between 2025 and 2027, the utility is adding 760 megawatts of new solar and battery storage systems, identified through an all-source request for proposals. The company’s largest solar array became operational this month, with additional solar and storage facilities scheduled to come online this summer. These initiatives have earned praise from Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, who recognized TEP’s leadership in clean energy during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Roadrunner Reserve battery system last year.
Addressing claims that TEP opposes rooftop solar, Hixon points to the nearly 56,000 customers with rooftop installations that the company has supported through thousands of staff hours dedicated to inspections and interconnections. TEP has also upgraded distribution circuits in neighborhoods with high solar adoption to accommodate additional systems. While the utility focuses its own investments on larger-scale systems for cost efficiency, Hixon characterizes TEP’s approach as practical and balanced.
Regarding assertions that TEP is seeking rate increases to serve “Project Blue,” a proposed data center, Hixon explains that Arizona’s regulatory framework prevents utilities from recovering costs until facilities are built, operating, and reviewed by the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC). Since nothing has yet been constructed for Project Blue, these costs cannot be included in current rates. He acknowledges that data centers have driven up electric rates in other regions where resources are scarce and rates are heavily influenced by market prices, but emphasizes that Arizona’s regulatory structure prevents such preemptive increases.
Finally, Hixon challenges accusations of corporate opacity, noting TEP’s extensive public documentation. The company’s current rate case includes over 1,600 pages of publicly available documents subject to open hearings with multiple participants. Long-term resource plans are developed collaboratively with stakeholders and filed with the ACC for public review. Additionally, TEP’s agreement to serve the initial phase of Project Blue was debated and approved in a public, live-streamed meeting.
Beyond ACC compliance, TEP regularly provides disclosures to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, and various environmental agencies. Hixon suggests that this level of documentation makes TEP one of the most transparently operated companies in Southern Arizona.
As a 50-year resident of Tucson and longtime TEP customer himself, Hixon suggests that critics claiming lack of information “haven’t looked” at the extensive public record available about the utility’s operations.
The clarifications come at a time of increasing public scrutiny of utilities nationwide as communities navigate the complex challenges of maintaining affordable rates while transitioning to cleaner energy sources and upgrading aging infrastructure.
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16 Comments
Appreciate the former TEP exec taking the time to clarify the facts and provide a more nuanced perspective on the utility’s performance and priorities.
Transparency and direct engagement from industry insiders can go a long way in dispelling misinformation. Kudos to TEP for this approach.
The data on TEP’s rate increases being below inflation over the past 25 years is helpful perspective. Maintaining affordability for customers during hot summers is no easy feat.
Curious to learn more about TEP’s upcoming investments in solar and battery storage. Sounds like they are making meaningful strides on clean energy adoption.
The data points on TEP’s rate increases and customer bills provide helpful context. It’s important to ground these discussions in facts rather than just rhetoric.
Interested to see how TEP’s upcoming renewable energy investments shape the utility’s environmental footprint in the years ahead.
It’s refreshing to see a utility exec acknowledge areas where the company may have fallen short, while also providing context around their environmental and affordability commitments.
Seems like a balanced approach to address misconceptions, rather than simply dismissing all criticism. Transparency like this can go a long way.
It’s good to see a utility willing to publicly engage on these issues and provide more context around their operations and decision-making.
Hopefully this helps address some of the misconceptions circulating and leads to more informed discussions around TEP’s role in the community.
This commentary provides a helpful reality check on some of the claims circulating about TEP. Good to see the company engaging directly to clarify the facts.
Appreciate the former exec taking the time to address these issues head-on. Constructive dialogue is important, even on complex utility matters.
The details on TEP’s renewable energy investments are intriguing. Curious to see how their solar and storage plans unfold in the coming years.
Seems the company is making an effort to balance affordability, reliability, and sustainability – not an easy task for a regional utility.
Interesting to hear a former TEP executive weigh in on the misconceptions around the utility’s operations and rates. Seems there’s more nuance to the story than some critics have portrayed.
Appreciate the effort to provide more context and set the record straight. It’s always good to hear directly from those with inside knowledge of a company’s activities.