Arizonans for Electric Choice & Competition Launches Consumer-Oriented Campaign Around Benefits of Electric ChoicePHOENIX - Business Wire - Jul 16
Arizonans for Electric Choice & Competition (AECC), a diverse group of Arizona opinion leaders serving as a voice for consumers and businesses in favor of opening the state’s electricity markets to competition, today announced the launch of its website, www.azelectricity.com. Currently, the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) continues to deliberate the re–opening of competitive electricity markets in the state, which would allow customers to choose their energy supplier. The launch of AECC’s website, one of several planned initiatives by AECC in support of competitive retail markets, sends a clear message to the members of the Commission: consumers and businesses in Arizona are ready to reap the many benefits of electric competition. Additionally, AECC members and retail competition advocates Direct Energy, Noble Americas Energy Solutions and Constellation NewEnergy, along with the Retail Energy Supply Association (RESA), filed joint comments with the ACC this week commending the Commission for proceeding with the deliberations and encouraging it to allow all Arizona electricity consumers the option to shop for their electricity in a competitive marketplace. In competitive markets, power suppliers compete against each other to provide the best possible service at the lowest possible cost in order to attract and retain customers. As a result, customers, both residential and commercial, are afforded the opportunity to shop for the best electricity price. “For Arizona businesses like ours, electricity can be one of the most significant operating expenses to deal with,” said Bill Jerald, Energy Manager at CalPortland’s Tucson office. “To the extent we can better manage our energy costs by having more options and services from which to choose, we’ll be able to transfer those savings to expanding our operations, hiring more employees and ultimately offering our own products and services at lower costs to our customers.” Andrea Morrison, Director, Government & Regulatory Affairs at Direct Energy, said, “Being able to reap the multitude of benefits that retail choice can deliver would be a win-win for businesses and consumers across Arizona, and the joint comments that Direct Energy, along with Noble, Constellation and RESA, filed with the ACC today highlight just that.” Morrison continued, “The bottom line is that competition simply makes sense. As committed AECC members, Direct Energy, Noble and Constellation look forward to advocating for all Arizona electricity customers and continuing to be active participants in this regulatory process.” The rollout of AECC’s website is the first of a series of communications actions that the coalition will take toward furthering its goals of promoting electric competition in Arizona. This week, AECC is running ads in Arizona daily and weekly newspapers, reaching thousands of residential and commercial electricity consumers and policymakers about the benefits of electric competition. Additionally, AECC will be providing helpful information about consumer choice to Arizona residents through direct mail. The AECC website also includes tools by which residential and commercial customers may contact the Arizona Corporation Commission to make their voices heard on this issue. These steps align with the coalition’s ongoing efforts to support legislative and regulatory action that advances consumer electric choice and to promote public awareness of the issue. AECC is currently recruiting individuals, organizations and businesses as coalition members, and invites all Arizonans to join their fellow citizens in lending their voices to support electric competition and consumer choice. Supporters can visit www.azelectricity.com/take-action to add their names to AECC’s list of individual, organization, and business members. There is no fee associated with joining the coalition. About AECC Arizonans for Electric Choice & Competition (AECC) is a voice for Arizona electricity users who support electric competition, which would allow families, businesses and government entities to shop for their electricity. AECC's mission is to promote a fair and competitive electricity market for the benefit of all Arizona consumers. CONTACT: For Arizonans for Electric Choice & Competition (AECC) Ian Calkins, 602-626-8956 ian@CopperState.net or Alexandra Meredith, 212-446-1887 ameredith@sloanepr.com KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA ARIZONA INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ENERGY UTILITIES OTHER ENERGY SOURCE: Arizonans for Electric Choice & Competition (AECC) Copyright Business Wire 2013 PUB: 07/16/2013 06:50 PM/DISC: 07/16/2013 06:50 PM http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20130716006649/en
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