Kevin Thompson, a commissioner on the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC), disclosed that he has a data center client during a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the Western Conference of Public Service Commissioners in New Mexico last week. Thompson, who is seeking re-election to the ACC later this year, also operates a consulting business, Broadmore Consulting, which offers business development and government relations services.

Thompson was participating in a panel with other utility regulators discussing the topic, “Does the Shifting Federal Landscape Change How We Find the Public Interest?” He made his disclosure during a discussion of whether there is a regional need to look at how states are addressing large load interconnection standards. Thompson stated, “For full transparency, I have a client that’s a data center” and went on to describe that data centers and hyperscalers are not going to locate in communities where there is no available power and the data center isn’t wanted.

EPI asked Thompson to identify his client and provide information about the type of services he provides and how long he has been working with the data center client. In response, Thompson confirmed that he continues to work with EdgeCore Digital Infrastructure, though he said that he does not perform work for the company in Arizona. Thompson said that his scope of work with EdgeCore has included projects in California, Nevada, and Virginia. EdgeCore does not currently appear on the list of clients on Broadmore’s website.

In a statement to EPI, Thompson said that “The client to whom you are inquiring is the same client your organization previously identified and clumsily attempted to make an issue as part of a piece more than a year ago. I will tell you the same thing I said publicly back then which remains true today – I do not perform any consulting work for this client in the state of Arizona.”

Thompson’s full statement to EPI appears at the bottom of this article. 

Broadmore Consulting clients include potential conflicts of interest

Thompson’s consulting company has worked with a number of clients, including EdgeCore and Sunrise Engineering, as reported by the Arizona Republic in 2025. Sunrise Engineering works with Southwest Gas and other utilities in Arizona. EdgeCore operates a hyperscale data center in the Mesa area, in addition to facilities in Nevada, California, and Virginia. EdgeCore and Sunrise Engineering both regularly interact and contract with utilities, including those regulated by the ACC. 

Broadmore Consulting holds itself out as a “consultant with expertise in governmental business development.” Broadmore’s other principal is Katharine Fredriksen, Thompson’s sister, and a policy advisor at the ACC to Vice Chair Rachel Walden. Commissioner Thompson’s access to other government leaders in Arizona, and across the country through the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), could make him an appealing consultant to companies with business in the utility or energy industries.

ACC ethics rules enforcement is unclear

The ACC code of ethics addresses avoiding conflicts of interests and requires a number of disclosures. However, the consequences for failing to comply with the code are unclear. Rule 4.1 discusses when a commissioner should disqualify him or herself, including when a decision could impact a Commissioner’s financial interest or future employment interest. Thompson says he has complied with all of the statutory requirements and recused himself when appropriate. 

Rule 5.1 requires filing of an annual financial disclosure statement with the Secretary of State’s office, which Thompson has done. The comment to this rule states the Commissioners “shall make their verified annual financial disclosure statements available to the public on the Commission website.” Currently, only Commissioner Lea Marquez Peterson has included her most recent financial disclosure on the ACC’s website.

Rule 5.4 provides that if a Commissioner is employed as an employee or independent contractor, certain details about that employment or those contracts must be disclosed to the Commission’s ethics officer. If a Commissioner is an independent contractor, his or her client list must be kept up to date on a monthly basis with the ethics officer. The code of ethics does not require commissioners to publish that information on the ACC’s website, so the public may not easily verify that these disclosures were made. EPI asked Thompson to share his client list, but he has not provided it. 

Commissioner Thompson faced a formal ethics complaint in 2023 regarding his meetings with financial institutions that have an interest in utilities operating in Arizona. The complainant requested that the Commission refer the matter to the Arizona Attorney General to investigate according to the enforcement mechanism in the code, but no such referral was made. 

Commissioner Thompson and current ACC Chair Nick Myers face Representative Ralph Heap in the Republican primary race on July 21. 

Kevin Thompson’s statement to EPI

“The client to whom you are inquiring is the same client your organization previously identified and clumsily attempted to make an issue as part of a piece more than a year ago. I will tell you the same thing I said publicly back then which remains true today – I do not perform any consulting work for this client in the state of Arizona.

“My scope of work has included researching the California system and looking at power needs in specific areas. I have researched ordinances related to the requirement to underground overhead transmission lines by the Virginia Department of Transportation. And I have consulted on issues related to easements within NV Energy’s service territory. 

“None of these projects have involved work in Arizona and I am not authorized by the client to (nor would I) work on projects in Arizona and certainly nothing that would come before the Commission. 

“If a matter involving any of my clients were to come before the Commission and create a conflict of interest under Arizona law, I would comply with all applicable statutory requirements, including disclosure and recusal where appropriate. To date, I have recused myself in one vote involving a matter that tangentially involved a different client (not my data center client) before the Commission and that was out of an abundance of caution because the client had performed some minor engineering work for a utility. 

“As you likely know, the Arizona Corporation Commission is a part-time constitutional body, and Commissioners are permitted to maintain outside employment and business interests consistent with Arizona law. I have complied with all applicable financial disclosure and ethics requirements. To the point where the basis of your inquiry – that I noted my contract during a public conference panel – demonstrates transparency that I believe is important. I have consistently consulted with Commission Ethics Counsel on my personal employment and will continue to do so.

“Generally speaking, I do not need to discuss confidential client relationships, proprietary business information, or nonpublic business plans of private entities any further than I have already chosen to do. But even so, to your questions about Arizona investments or plans in Arizona, I wouldn’t know because as I already mentioned, I do not perform any consulting work for the client in the state of Arizona.”