ED3 announces rate decrease for 2017

The Electrical District No. 3 (ED3) board of directors approved its 2017 budget and announced the 2017 electric rates will go down an average of 3.16 percent for residential, commercial, small industrial, large industrial and agriculture.

William Stacy, CEO and general manager of ED3, said the District has worked diligently to reduce costs and for the second year in a row will provide a rate decrease to its customers effective Jan. 1. This is during a time when other utilities and businesses in Arizona and across the nation continue to raise their rates.

On average, ED3’s standard residential rates are 8.8 percent lower than Arizona Public Service (APS) and could be lower depending on the electrical usage. In addition, APS is currently requesting a 7.96 percent increase in their residential rates.

ED3 began operation in 1926, to provide area farmers with electricity to irrigate their crops and is a non-profit utility currently serving an area of approximately 245,500 acres around Maricopa and Stanfield.  The District operates 11 distribution level substations, approximately 1,004 miles of 12 kV lines (604 miles of overhead and 400 miles of underground) and 73 miles of 69 kV lines.  The District currently serves approximately 24,359 residential, commercial, and irrigation meter connections.