mt_admin, Author at Arizona Technology Council

Clean Energy News October 2024

News and updates related to clean energy, sustainability, clean tech, funding updates and more for the state of Arizona.

Public Invited to Explore the Universe and the Science of Light for Free at Flandrau on May 21

May 8, 2023 — Tucson, Arizona — Families, teachers and science enthusiasts of all ages are invited to the Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium on Sunday, May 21, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. for free planetarium shows and optics activities to celebrate the International Day of Light. The International Day of Light is a UNESCO global initiative to celebrate light and the role it plays i...

Phoenix ranks No. 14 on most eco-forward cities list

78% of U.S. consumers say a sustainable lifestyle is important to them and that they’re prioritizing eco-conscious details and design in their home. Opendoor has released its list of 15 eco-forward cities and towns across the U.S. – and Phoenix is ranked No. 14 on the list!

USDA invests $2 million in rural Arizona renewable energy infrastructure

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday announced $6.6 million in investments for renewable energy infrastructure projects in rural communities in three states, including Arizona. Non-profit organization Cooperatives for a Better World and Navajo Power Home will use $1.9 million to develop infrastructure to power up to 100 northeast Arizona homes.

Inside Lyft’s quest to get drivers to adopt EVs

In June 2020, Lyft announced its goal of achieving 100% electric vehicles on its platform by the end of 2030. To put the enormity of this pledge in context, in 2022, a record-setting year for electric vehicle sales in the U.S., EVs still comprised only about 6% of all new vehicles sold. Because most drivers on the Lyft platform utilize their own vehicles, you might expect their EV ownership to ...

Glendale Community College names new president after national search

The Maricopa County Community College District has chosen a Texas college administrator to be the next president of Glendale Community College. MCCCD said that after a nationwide search it chose Tiffany Hernandez, a former Arizonan who is currently vice president for student success at San Antonio College, to take the reins at GCC. She will step into her new role on July 10, taking over from Er...

Construction starting soon on SRP battery storage facility in West Valley

Construction is set to begin soon on a new Salt River Project battery storage facility coming to the West Valley. The Sierra Estrella Energy Storage facility, off South Avondale Boulevard north of West Broadway Road, is a collaborative project between SRP and Houston-based Plus Power LLC to store power to handle customer demand during peak usage times.

Axon launches new body camera, looks to hire 300 as company ramps up operations

Axon Enterprise Inc. is launching its next-generation body camera and is looking to fill hundreds of jobs as the company ramps up operations. The Scottsdale-based law enforcement technology company on Wednesday released the Axon Body 4, which it says boosts transparency and real-time communication among public safety officials.

TGen, City of Hope, HonorHealth develop more precise method for pancreatic cancer treatment

A trio of premier Southwest biomedical research centers — HonorHealth Research Institute, City of Hope and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope — have developed a more precise method that may help determine when it is best to surgically remove of pancreatic cancer tumors.

Terkel guest blog: 12-step checklist for onboarding IT staff

From handing over computer and account access to finding a mentor, here are 12 answers to the question, "What are the most helpful steps to include in a checklist for onboarding IT staff?"

Maker of blimp-like hybrid-electric cargo airship taps Honeywell Phoenix for generator

Phoenix-based Honeywell Aerospace will supply power for a blimp-like airship that is expected to handle heavy loads in less accessible areas for a variety of industries. A 1-megawatt generator made by Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) was selected by Flying Whales Quebec — which is based in France and Canada — to be integrated into its new LCA60T hybrid-electric airship that is currently under develo...

AWS launches global generative AI accelerator for startups

Building on the exciting new developments around generative AI, we are happy to launch the AWS Generative AI Accelerator, a 10-week program designed to take the most promising generative AI startups around the globe to the next level. Generative AI is an incredibly exciting field that has the potential to revolutionize many industries. Tech startups will play an important role in bringing this...

Inflation Reduction Act investments paying off

Arizonans are enjoying our famously perfect spring weather, and new federal clean energy investments are already on their way to Arizona pockets. The sweeping package of clean energy tax credits and funding programs known as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) may not be top of mind for every Arizonan right now, but it should be. We all stand to benefit immensely from the new jobs and energy savi...

ZorroSign achieves PCI DSS certification

Adding to ZorroSign’s long list of privacy and security compliance certifications, they are proud to announce their data security platform built on blockchain has recently been certified as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant.

Nikola Corp. outlines plans for new hydrogen hub in West Valley

Phoenix-based Nikola Corp. (Nasdaq: NKLA) has submitted plans to the city of Buckeye for its new hydrogen manufacturing plant in the southern part of the city. The company has been working on building a new hydrogen production hub, dubbed Project H20, across hundreds of acres in Buckeye just west of State Route 85 near the Arizona Department of Corrections Lewis Prison at 28702 W. Patterson ...

As Intel’s Chandler expansion progresses, Sen. Kelly says company should have ‘competitive application’ for CHIPS Act incentives

Intel Corp.’s Ocotillo campus in Chandler was buzzing with activity Wednesday as construction workers transported materials and cranes hoisted steel trusses onto buildings that will soon become the company's newest semiconductor factories. U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly was onsite to view construction progress of the two factories — Fab 52 and Fab 62 — a $20 billion project that broke ground in 202...

Phoenix GateWay Community College names new president

After serving for more than two years as GateWay Community College’s interim president, Amy Diaz has been given the permanent job. GateWay and the Maricopa County Community College District announced Diaz would take the role as GWCC president after having conducted a nationwide search to fill the post. She will take office on April 15.

Perkins Coie to move offices from midtown to smaller Camelback Corridor space

Global law firm Perkins Coie is bolstering its local office footprint. Perkins Coie recently inked a 30,000-square-foot lease at Building II at the Esplanade campus in Phoenix’s Camelback Corridor at 2525 E. Camelback Road. The firm will be moving from its midtown office at Phoenix Plaza at 2901 N. Central Ave., downsizing from about 87,000 square feet.

American Express and other small business grants you can apply for right now

American Express has launched a new round of its Backing Small Business grant program — and intends to hand out $2.3 million to small businesses. The grant program, in partnership with Main Street America, means small business owners can apply for $5,000 grants to cover costs such as marketing expenses, capital implements and physical and technological upgrades. The program will choose 350 sm...

Raytheon gets $619 million U.S. Navy contract for SPY-6 radars

Raytheon Technologies was awarded a $619 million contract to continue to produce AN/SPY-6(V) radars for the U.S. Navy. This is the second option exercised from the March 2022 hardware, production and sustainment contract that is valued up to $3 billion over five years.

Google Fiber turns on internet service in first Valley city

Google Fiber is live in Mesa. And it’s the first Arizona city to get access to the gigabit internet service. The company announced that a first wave of Mesa residents can sign up for the internet service beginning March 30, with the service starting in the Westwood area. For the latest information on the build-out process and the neighborhoods available, click here.

One of first cobalt processing facilities of its kind to open in 2026 in Arizona

A newly formed entity is planning to build a $200 million cobalt sulfate processing plant for electric vehicle batteries in Yuma County in southern Arizona. EVelution Energy LLC said it will start construction in 2024 on its new solar-powered facility along Interstate 8 in Tacna in an Opportunity Zone, or an economically distressed area that offers tax incentives for long-term investment.

Raytheon nabs more advanced weapon contracts, including one with Northrop Grumman

A collaboration between Arizona defense manufacturing giants Raytheon Missiles and Defense and Northrop Grumman will develop a vital system for a new precision missile after the U.S. Army gave the two companies a $97.7 million contract. That contract, announced this week, comes shortly after Raytheon (NYSE: RTX) said it was awarded a $320.3 million contract to produce a next-generation smart we...

Arizona opens new trade and investment office in Taiwan’s capital

The state of Arizona has opened a new trade and investment office in Taipei, Taiwan, to further boost economic opportunities between the two regions. The new office will be part of the ACA and will serve as a platform to increase economic partnerships and foreign direct investment, Gov. Katie Hobbs announced. It will be led by Leland Lai, who previously worked as a market entry and strategy con...

Protection for the ‘Internet of Things’ fueled by Arizona innovation has arrived

University of Arizona startup BG Networks has announced the release of the company’s AnCyRTM (Anomaly Detection and Cyber Resilience) host-based software anomaly detection technology. The system was originally invented by a team from the UArizona College of Engineering led by professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering Roman Lysecky and distinguished professor of electri...

Kopius announces appointment of new chief revenue officer, David Sterenberg

Kopius, a leading provider of dual-shore digital transformation services, has appointed David Sterenberg as its Chief Revenue Officer. A veteran sales leader, Sterenberg has expertise in digital transformation technology and scaling organizations to drive innovation and growth. He will use his expertise in platform and partnership development to advance a high performing sales organization.

Phoenix council member Yassamin Ansari pushes for climate action, sustainable energy

Yassamin Ansari began her professional career at the United Nations, as a policy adviser advocating for climate change. Now, as a Phoenix City Council member and vice mayor, she says that true progress toward a sustainable future starts at the local level. “We are on the front lines of climate change from extreme heat to air pollution,” said Ansari, who was elected to the city council in 20...

Mountain Line unveils first fully electric buses in Flagstaff

When the bay doors opened and the new electric bus rolled in during Mountain Line’s launch event on Thursday, there was a strange silence. Despite the cavernous acoustics of the warehouse space, the bus moved forward with almost no sound — the gentle creak of fresh rubber on its tires louder than its electric propulsion. Even inside the bus, sitting right over the motor, there was not much ...

Clean energy news: March 2023

Phoenix council member Yassamin Ansari pushes for climate action, sustainable energy; Mountain Line unveils first fully electric buses in Flagstaff; SRP looks from within to select new CEO to replace retiring Mike Hummel; Microsoft agrees to make data centers air cooled amid water infrastructure challenges in Goodyear; KORE Power selects Siemens as infrastructure technology provider for Arizona...

LG Energy Solution to ramp up investment in planned Valley battery manufacturing plant

South Korean battery giant LG Energy Solution Ltd. has confirmed its plans to move forward with building a battery complex in Arizona and will be significantly increasing its investment in the project. LGES, one of the largest battery makers in the world, said Friday that now it plans to invest $5.5 billion to construct two manufacturing plants in Queen Creek, a town located just south of the...

Scottsdale forward: Innovation in business

The Scottsdale Area Chamber of Commerce presents Scottsdale Forward: Innovation in Business, an economic development symposium geared towards business leaders in the Scottsdale community. The breakfast event will be held at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday, April 19th from 7:30 AM to 9:15 AM. Registration is open through the Scottsdale Chamber’s website.

Salt River Project looks from within to select new CEO to replace retiring Mike Hummel

Salt River Project has named longtime employee Jim Pratt as the company’s new general manager and CEO. Pratt will start his new job on May 5 to lead Arizona’s largest community-based, not-for-profit utility. Pratt succeeds CEO Mike Hummel, who is retiring. The Tempe-based company said that Pratt was selected from among a number of internal candidates.

Intel names Stuart Pann head of foundry business unit that is crucial to Arizona, company

Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC) named a new head of a cornerstone business unit in CEO Pat Gelsinger’s revitalization plan for the company. The chipmaker on Tuesday tapped Stuart Pann as senior vice president and general manager for Intel Foundry Services, reporting to Gelsinger.

Quottly joins Parchment to transform student mobility with course & program sharing, transfer articulation and dual enrollment solutions

Today Parchment, the industry leader in academic credentials management, announced the acquisition of Quottly, the leading technology solution for course and program sharing, transfer articulation, and dual enrollment. This acquisition adds a new dimension to Parchment’s mission to turn credentials into opportunities by helping higher education give students access to more academic options, u...

Boeing will be building dozens of Apache helicopters in Mesa

The Boeing Co. will be building 184 AH 64E Apache attack helicopters in Mesa under a $1.9 billion contract modification that brings the value of an existing deal with the U.S. Army to $2.1 billion. The modification, which was awarded on March 17, can still increase to more than $3.8 billion in the future, Boeing said. Boeing (NYSE: BA) was the sole applicant for the contract after bids were sol...

The VB Cosmetics story in 2023

VB Cosmetics, Inc. (VBC) is a rapidly growing, vertically integrated cosmetics product innovation, marketing, sales and manufacturing company in Chandler, Arizona, which is looking for highly motivated colleagues who wish to roll up their sleeves, dig in and be part of a winning organization.

Banner Health to build $400M hospital campus in Scottsdale

After losing a state land auction to HonorHealth last November, the state's largest health system plans to build a $400 million hospital campus down the street. Phoenix-based Banner Health plans to purchase 48 acres of land on the southwest corner of Hayden Road and Loop 101 in north Scottsdale — near a separate 48-acre parcel of state land where it had planned to build at the northeast corne...

Terkel guest blog: Top 12 tech skills employers look for in 2023

From UX Design to Cloud Computing, here are 12 answers to the question, "What are the most important tech skills an employer should look for in candidates in 2023, and why?"

AI startup launches new technology at Scottsdale’s Smithsonian affiliate Western Spirit: Museum of the West

ListenUp, the months old local startup that has been making soundwaves throughout the valley is set to demonstrate their new audio technology at Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West at the end of this month in connection with funding efforts. Scottsdale based founders, Irina and Igor Ilyinsky, are calling it the “Museum-to-Metropolis Experience”. As recently covered by Fox 10 N...

Microsoft agrees to make data centers air cooled amid water infrastructure challenges in Goodyear

Redmond, Washington-based tech giant Microsoft Corp. has agreed to switch its cooling system for future data centers in Goodyear and invest more than $40 million to expand the city's wastewater capacity through an updated development agreement that the city that was approved last week.

Startup Metfora to advance development of AI-enabled diagnostic technology

University of Arizona startup Metfora, LLC has announced that it is the recipient of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase l Award from the National Science Foundation to pursue the detection of chronic diseases via multiplex analysis of circulating metabolites. The company will receive a one-year grant of $255,706 to expand a pioneering diagnostic technology originally developed a...

Phoenix Business Journal names Mignon Gould as associate editor

The Phoenix Business Journal is pleased to announce that Mignon Gould has been hired as associate editor, overseeing all editorial content related to events and special publications. A veteran journalist and longtime Phoenix-area resident, Gould will work closely with Managing Editor Erin Edgemon to shape editorial coverage for events such as Best Places to Work, 40 Under 40, Most Admired Leade...

Star wars: Raytheon wins contract to develop orbital hypersonic missile defense system

Raytheon Technologies has won a contract worth more than $250 million from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Space Development Agency to design and develop a satellite system to detect and track hypersonic missiles and other threats. The contract was awarded to the company’s Space and Intelligence division, but the project aligns with key hypersonic missile development projects being done at...

Benchmark Technologies opens new plant in Mesa that will create 100 new jobs

Benchmark Electronics Inc., an engineering, design and manufacturing services provider, has opened a new precision technologies facility in Mesa that will create 100 new jobs. Benchmark Precision Technologies, a services group of Benchmark Electronics (NYSE: BHE), on Friday celebrated the grand opening of its 64,000-square-foot facility at 730 E. Baseline Road.

Phoenix Sky Harbor starts 2023 with record passenger numbers

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport started off 2023 and the Valley’s tourism season with more passengers than it has seen in recent years. In January, Sky Harbor recorded a total of 3,851,648 passengers going through its terminals, which was a 28.1% increase from January 2022 and it is just slightly higher – 13,331 passengers – from January 2020, according to data released by the Ph...

Spencer Fane law firm names Phoenix office managing partner

Spencer Fane LLP has announced a changing of the guard at its Phoenix law office, with David Funkhouser III named as the new office managing partner. Funkhouser replaced Andrew Federhar, effective March 1. Federhar, who had served in the role since the office’s 2017 opening, will return to full-time work as Of Counsel in the firm's litigation practice group.

Virgin Galactic’s Mesa facility coming along; company hopeful commercial space flights can resume in Q2

Space tourism company Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) on Tuesday said its spacecraft manufacturing facility in Mesa is coming along and that it is on track to resume commercial service in the second quarter of this year. Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier said during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call that the company was "making progress" on the Mesa facility, which was first ann...

KORE Power selects Siemens as infrastructure technology provider for Arizona battery gigafactory

KORE Power, Inc., the leading U.S.-based developer of battery cell technology for the clean energy and e-mobility industries, has chosen Siemens to support the company’s future 12-GWh lithium-ion battery cell production facility, known as ‘the KOREPlex.’ Smart factory technology from Siemens and investment capital via Siemens Financial Services will help accelerate the build-out of KOR...

Paragon IT Pros guest post: How to navigate difficult conversations

A single conversation failure can cost an organization $7,500 and seven days of work. Having a difficult conversation is a leader's least favorite part of their job because they are less prepared and less confident. Often the message being delivered is viewed as bad news and you're unsure how the other person will react. Furthermore, you've likely never been given a roadmap for how to effecti...

Pipeline AZ’s IT/Cyber Career Network offers valuable career resources

Like most of the country, and the world, the IT and cybersecurity industries are among the fastest-growing in Arizona. There’s never been a better time to pursue a career in these fields, as there are tens of thousands of open jobs projected in Arizona through 2024 alone. That’s why the Arizona Technology Council has partnered with Pipeline AZ to create a valuable IT and cybersecurity resou...