An elected official on the commission that regulates most Arizona utilities says electricity companies should not have to do anything more to prevent heat-related deaths, following news that an 82-year-old woman died in her home on a 99-degree day after her power had been disconnected.
Katherine Korman died May 19, 2024, at her home in Sun City West. Her electricity had been shut off earlier that week. Korman had not paid her electricity bill since January, according to her utility provider, Arizona Public Service.
The Maricopa County medical examiner lists Korman’s death as accidental, from chronic alcohol use, with cardiovascular disease and heat stress among the contributing factors…