A renewable energy future is within our grasp: the technology is now widely available and cost-effective in most places around the world. This working paper focuses on the challenges and solutions to scaling investment in renewable energy generation and provides actionable policy solutions to unlock the private sector investment needed to support the energy transition.
The new rules update the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff that an all-Republican commission passed in 2006 and requires utilities to get 15% of their power from renewables by 2025, as well as the 2010 energy-efficiency requirements for them to use efficiency measures to meet 22% of their energy demand by this year.
Arizona is at a crossroads and has an opportunity to lead the nation in a clean energy proposal that differs from the Green New Deal. Arizona Corporation Commissioners have an opportunity to shape our state’s energy future while protecting our ratepayers and assuring reliability.
The proposed factory would support up to 12 gigawatt hours of battery cell production in an effort to diversify the U.S. battery supply chain. The vast majority of the world’s battery cells, which end up in electric vehicles, e-bikes, e-scooters or drones, are produced in Asia. In addition to the 3,000 would-be KORE Power employees, the company estimated that the new plant would bring an additional 10,000 direct and indirect jobs to the selected region.
Arizona’s culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, vibrant workforce and business-friendly environment create opportunities for strategic investment that bring jobs and capital to the state. This is not by accident. Arizona’s leaders and policymakers have prioritized economic development, ensuring the state is positioned to meet the needs of the tech and advanced manufacturing industries.
Arizona utility company Salt River Project advances solar in the desert; Nikola Corporation announces collaboration to expedite zero-emission transportation; KORE Power names Arizona as one of three finalists for new lithium-ion battery factory; ElectraMeccanica breaks ground on Mesa manufacturing facility; Gilbert, Ariz.-based Footprint recognized as one of the country’s top, private-sector sustainability innovators; and more.
The big question is whether all the companies can get commercial production up and running. After that, the big test will involve suppliers and whether Arizona can attract them in sizable numbers to transform the state into an auto manufacturing hub. The next few years could prove pivotal.
Commissioner Márquez Peterson’s energy–smart leadership has the Arizona Corporation Commission going in the right direction, making sure that Arizonans realize the full benefits of current energy market trends. Beyond being good for our wallets, it represents the most prudent, market-oriented, and conservative path forward for Arizona.
Nikola Corporation (Nasdaq: NKLA), a global leader in zero-emissions transportation and infrastructure solutions, announced a collaboration with Total Transportation Services Inc. (TTSI), one of Southern California’s prominent port trucking companies, to expedite zero-emission transportation at the port of Los Angeles/Long Beach.
Despite more than three years of stakeholder engagement and bipartisan cooperation, and with utilities, businesses, consumer advocates, and communities of faith all aligned in support, the ACC voted down its proposed energy rules* 3 to 2 at its Open Meeting. This is a disappointing end to a three-year-long process that consolidated broad support behind a shift to cleaner, more affordable energy options for Arizona families and businesses.