Arizona Corporation Commission

Arizona Corporation Commission
Seal of the Corporation Commission

Partisan makeup of the Corporation Commission
Commission overview
Formed1912 (1912)
TypePublic utilities commission
JurisdictionGovernment of Arizona
HeadquartersPhoenix
Employees223
Annual budget$39,509,254
Commission executives
Websitewww.azcc.gov

The Arizona Corporation Commission is the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Arizona, established by Article 15 of the Arizona Constitution. Arizona is one of only fourteen states with elected commissioners. The Arizona Constitution explicitly calls for an elected commission, as opposed to a governor-appointed commission, which is the standard in most states, because its drafters feared that governors would appoint industry-friendly officials. They are directly elected statewide and serve staggered four-year terms. Due to its separation from the executive branch, the commission is often referred to as the "fourth branch of government." The characterization of the Commission as the "fourth branch of government" is contradicted, however, by Article III of the Arizona Constitution, which provides that "[t]he powers of the government of the state of Arizona shall be divided into three separate departments, the legislative, the executive, and the judicial".

The commission has five members. As of January 2025, the commissioners are Lea Márquez Peterson, Nick Myers, Rene Lopez, Kevin Thompson, and Rachel Walden.