But O'Grady, retained by the Arizona Investment Council, said those powers are limited to what the commission needs to do its job.

"There is no basis to allow the commission to use its investigative power to inquire into the political speech of a particular entity,'' O'Grady said in her memo.

She said the only excuse for commissioners to demand the information would be to determine whether a utility's request for higher rates was designed to help cover the cost of election expenses. But O'Grady said there is no such request currently before the panel.

But former Supreme Court Justice Thomas Zlaket came to a contrary conclusion.

Zlaket was retained by the Alliance for Solar Choice, Those are the manufacturers and installers who have been at odds with APS over its efforts to force homeowners with solar panels to pay more to the utility for the fixed costs of maintaining the electrical grid.

He said commissioners have a "compelling interest'' in knowing the role utilities played in an election "because such information reveals the potential bias of commissioners who may have received support from these entities.''

Both Forese and Little have consistently said they have no knowledge of whether APS helped them win through any funding to outside groups. They also have rejected a separate request by two former commissioners that they recuse themselves from participating in any upcoming hearings on that request by APS for more money from solar customers.

Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0