Moderated by Phoenix Business RadioX, a distinguished panel of technology leaders from PayPal, Miller Policy Consulting and the Arizona Technology Council discussed the benefits of transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy, the Arizona Corporation Commission’s (ACC) role in adopting energy policies, how climate change is affecting us, what’s at stake and how renewable energy can sustain humankind.
Arizona has demonstrated that there is a proven nexus between supporting the economy and addressing environmental challenges. Investments in large-scale renewable energy projects both put people to work in the short term and strengthen our economy in the long term, and they help bring us closer to meeting the clean and renewable energy goals shared by Arizona’s businesses, residents and utilities alike.
The Arizona Technology Council and The Western Way release new report outlining how clean energy has the potential to play a significant role in the post-pandemic economic recovery, the Arizona Corporation Commission elects new department chair, the University of Arizona’s Center for Innovation awarded DoE contract to support clean-energy innovators, General Motors commits to fighting for electric vehicle market share, Lucid Motors on track to begin production of Lucid Air luxury electric sedan, Global Water Resources to provide water to Nikola Motor Company facility, and more.
The International Energy Agency announces solar power is now the cheapest form of energy, Arizona-based advanced materials company EnKoat featured in the 2020 50 to Watch List for its is development of energy-efficient building coatings to combat climate change, and more.
The Arizona Corporation Commission has approved a plan for utilities to get all of their energy from carbon-free sources like solar and nuclear energy by 2050, bringing the state closer in line to other Western states. The new requirements would make Arizona’s renewable rules stricter than Montana, Oregon and Washington, although Washington’s goal of going carbon-free is to do so by 2045, five years earlier than Arizona.
The Arizona Public Service Company (APS) has implemented a $51.9 million energy efficiency package, offering programs to help families and small businesses save money as they attempt to weather COVID-19.
Today, more than 160,000 solar installations in Arizona produce enough energy to power more than 768,000 homes. ASU’s solar program provides more than 50 MWdc equivalent solar-generating capacity, which contributed to the university reaching its goal of becoming carbon neutral in 2020, with zero greenhouse gas emissions from campus operations. Here, we chronicle some of the major milestones in the history of solar energy development at ASU, revealing how the university has emerged as a national leader in the field.