Dearest Reader,
This is my first sponsored newsletter and I want to tell you exactly why I said yes to this one.
When I moved to Arizona last year, after hopping between six homes in seven months, rebuilding my life from the ground up, I started noticing things I'd never noticed before. In New York I was used to the pollution. Used to the noise, the concrete, walking quickly to keep up with the pace of foot traffic. The hustle and bustle was my operating system.
But in Arizona I slowed down. And when you slow down, you start to see. 👀
I saw which neighborhoods had beautiful trees and shade and green space. And I saw which ones didn't. I wondered why, in one of the hottest and sunniest states in America, so few communities had real access to relief, from the heat, from the bills, from the decisions being made about their energy without their input.
This is what brought me to Generation 180, who sponsored this letter, and whose work I stand behind.
I’m sharing what I learned and I believe we should continue to discuss matters that impact the cities we live in more openly.
- APS, Arizona's largest utility, reported $609 million in net income in 2024.
- They have also filed for a nearly 14% rate increase for 2026, on top of the 8% increase approved just last year that added $10-12 a month to the average residential bill.
- If this new increase is approved, that's another $20 a month. Every month. Just to keep your lights on. 💡
And here's the part that even as a seasoned brand builder shocked me, the term "carbon footprint" was popularized not by environmentalists but by BP, working with an ad agency, as part of a $200 million rebranding campaign. I posted a reel about this shocking truth because the first thing I said to myself when I learned this fact was, “wow, they are the original gaslighters.” My reel gets into it. 🔥
This isn't about being a climate expert. I'm certainly not one. I'm a business owner who pays an electric bill and wants a say in how much it costs.
I'm a woman who moved to Phoenix and couldn't unsee the disparities once she saw them.
I'm someone who understands that when communities of color can't afford their AC bill, they can't afford to invest in their dreams either. And I refuse to accept that as inevitable. We have the opportunity to avoid that rate hike.
On May 18th, the Arizona Corporation Commission is holding a public hearing on APS's proposed rate increase. The public gets to speak before they vote.
📍 When: Sunday, May 18, 2026 at 10:00 AM
📍 Where: ACC Hearing Room 1, Downtown Phoenix
📍 Format: In-person OR call-in option available
📍 Full details and docket here →
You don't have to be an expert to show up. Your zip code gives you standing. Your electric bill gives you standing. Your lived experience gives you standing.
If you're not in Arizona, forward this to someone who is. And watch the latest video I posted on The Invisible Bill, because this conversation is bigger than one utility in one state. We are all paying for things we were never asked to vote on.
Your voice is not a footnote. Use it.
Until the next letter,
Vanessa
This newsletter is sponsored by Generation 180, whose mission is to inspire and equip people to take action on clean energy. All words, opinions, and reasons for saying yes are entirely my own.
