Clean energy news: April 2024
Phoenix, SRP install electric vehicle chargers at 6 libraries
Six Phoenix libraries have electric vehicle charging stations, a step toward the city’s goal of 500 EV stations by 2030.
The city initiative with support from Tempe-based Salt River Project began last year, and each charging station offers two charging ports, according to a release. Read more >>
Biden-Harris administration invests $2.3 billion in projects to expand affordable, reliable, clean power in rural communities
As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s PowerXchange annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas that USDA is moving forward on clean energy investments in 23 states to reduce pollution and strengthen rural America’s power grid. Read more >>
Sustainable Climate Tech Manufacturer Breaks Ground in Mesa
XNRGY, a North American leader in sustainable HVAC solutions, announced the groundbreaking of its new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Mesa, Arizona.
The first phase of the Arizona facility encompasses a significant 275,000 square feet, surpassing XNRGY’s Montreal headquarters at 223,000 square feet. This initial investment signifies a key milestone in XNRGY’s previously announced $300 million capital investment plan for the Mesa area. The groundbreaking ceremony represents the start of a four-phase development plan, ultimately creating a massive 1,000,000-square-foot sustainable manufacturing hub. Read more >>
solar developer taps area near Phoenix for $1.2B project
A group of investors who own approximately 30,000 acres of land in the Harquahala Valley have inked a deal to build a $1.2 billion solar project on the site and are negotiating separate deals to sell the water underneath the project, which lies about 60 miles west of Phoenix.
Salt Lake City-based Copia Power, a developer of renewable energy platforms backed by global investment firm The Carlyle Group (Nasdaq: CG), plans to invest billions in the region in an effort to develop more than 1,500 megawatts of additional renewable energy projects, said Garret Bean, managing director of strategic development for Copia Power. Read more >>
Final Four Success: Phoenix Achieves Another Zero Waste Event
The final numbers are in and Phoenix once again reached its goal of making Final Four Fan Fest a Zero Waste Event. During the four days of downtown events, 94.2% of all waste collected by the Public Works Department was diverted away from the landfill. A Zero Waste event is defined as one with at least 90% waste diversion. Read more >>
Dmd Systems Recovery Earns 25% Improvement in B Corp™ Score for Sustainable Itad Services
DMD Systems Recovery, LLC. (DMD), a reuse-first ITAD services provider, proudly announces that after a thorough reassessment by B Lab™, DMD’s B Impact Assessment™ jumped over 20 points, achieving a total score of 103. This achievement solidifies DMD’s status as a certified B Corp for the 4th year and underscores DMD’s commitment to sustainability in the IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) industry. Read more >>
What every homeowner should know about the new clean energy tax credit
Whether you are in the market for a new home or ready to upgrade your current residence, investing in energy-efficient home improvements could help you save money thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act. Read more >>
Trico selected for $83.5M PACE award
Trico Electric Cooperative was one of five cooperatives across the country selected by the USDA to move forward in the award process for the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program.
Trico’s application includes four renewable energy and battery energy storage projects designed to provide cost-effective and sustainable energy solutions for its members in Southern Arizona. Read more >>
Six Green Banks Receive $1.3 Million in Awards and Technical Assistance to Finance Equitable Clean Water Infrastructure
The Coalition for Green Capital (CGC), PRE Collective, and Quantified Ventures (QV) jointly announce their selection of six green banks from across the United States to receive $1.3 million in grants plus technical assistance to build a pipeline of equitable clean water infrastructure projects that directly benefit disadvantaged communities. This funding and technical assistance is a key component of an investment made by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) in a strategic collaboration between CGC, PRE Collective, and QV to develop scalable financing programs for equitable water infrastructure. Read more >>
A Phoenix farm is making renewable energy while also providing shade for crops
The triple-digit heat in Phoenix makes it difficult to farm — everything from growing crops to tending livestock.
There is a solution that cools off the land while also providing sustainable energy — agrivoltaics. That’s a fancy term that means using large solar panels to provide shade. Of course, such a large undertaking requires a lot of funding that’s hard to come by. Read more >>
Arizona State University is Powering up clean energy systems education
The U.S. has work to do in the development of technologies that are going to help the country to reach the goal of being 100% carbon-pollution free by 2035, according to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. In moving toward this goal, the nation needs more people who have the knowledge to advance progress in this area. Read more >>
Arizona Wins $156M Clean Energy Grant to Expand Access to Low-Cost Energy Options
The Governor’s Office of Resiliency (OOR) was awarded $156 million from the EPA’s Solar for all grant program to improve access to rooftop and neighborhood-scale solar generation for all Arizonans. The Solar for All Arizonans program plans to deploy just over 61 MW of new solar resources throughout the state, benefitting thousands of low-income families, renters, and rural and Tribal communities. Read more >>
Four Valley cities are the fastest places to recoup solar installation expenses
Four cities in the Phoenix metro are the best places in the nation to quickly recoup the expenses of installing home solar panels, according to a new report.
It takes homeowners in Chandler, Avondale, Glendale and Mesa just around two years to make up the cost of a solar system installation through reduced electricity bills, according to an analysis by Market Watch. The average time nationally is eight years, Market Watch said. Read more >>
Arizona’s Clean Tech Boom: $90 billion invested, ‘thousands of jobs created’
On Friday, April 5, local, state, and federal leaders convened at the Clean Economy and Community Impact Summit at the University of Arizona Tech Park in Tucson, to talk about the economic impact of federal investments into clean energy across Arizona.
Panel discussions touched on how the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America Agenda, which has allocated funding from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), has helped create thousands of jobs throughout the state. Read more >>