Clean energy news: June 2022
KORE Power acquires stake in Gilbert-based EV retrofit startup
KORE Power, Inc., a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of lithium-ion battery cells, acquired a 4.22 percent stake in ZEVx, an innovative startup dedicated to eliminating barriers to electric vehicle adoption with affordable EV conversion kits and a focus on fleet electrification. Earlier this year, KORE announced a supply agreement with ZEVx to provide KORE battery modules for ZEVx’s electric powertrain kits through 2030. Based in Gilbert, AZ – just an hour east of KORE Power’s planned KOREPlex gigafactory – ZEVx manufactures electric powertrain solutions that allow fleet customers to convert existing light-medium duty fleet vehicles to EVs. Read more >>
Arizona lawmakers have passed 275 bills. Only 1 relates to climate change
It’s no surprise that climate-related legislation isn’t a priority at the Arizona State Legislature. The GOP-led body has historically favored a limited approach to environmental regulations and even went out of its way in 2015 to pass a law preventing cities from passing their own plastic bag bans. Out of 275 bills passed during this legislative session, only one directly relates to climate change policy. The bi-partisan bill was signed into law by Governor Doug Ducey earlier this year and paves the way for new climate-friendlier refrigerants. Read more >>
Climate change is not your fault, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook
If you’re sick of being made to feel like climate change is your fault and that you should be riding your bike to work to stop it, then you should have been in southern California last weekend. At the inaugural West Coast Climate Crisis Symposium, panels of experts discussed topics ranging from how rising temperatures will alter the oceans to expected changes in water access, food production and risk of future pandemics on land. A common thread was the question of who is to blame, and the conclusion, mostly, was that it’s not you. Read more >>
My View: Electric vehicles not only drive down fuel costs. In Arizona, they drive up job growth
Across the U.S., and especially in Arizona where cars are a huge part of what makes our economy work, the need for reliable and affordable transportation is ever-present. As world conflicts continue to drive up the prices of gasoline, now is the right time to consider how to save money when fueling our cars. Electric vehicles are a big part of the answer — and a little secret between you and me, they’re just better. Read more >>
Lithium mining company plans to open research facility in Valley, create hundreds of jobs
Arizona Lithium Ltd. revealed plans to open a technologically advanced research and processing facility in the Valley and create hundreds of jobs. Arizona Lithium, an Australian company that’s working on the Big Sandy open-pit lithium mining project in northern Arizona, said it has committed to the state for its new facility, which will bring more than 300 new jobs to the state. The new facility will focus on technological advancements in lithium processing and will advance the battery materials industry in Arizona, the company said. The research facility is expected to be operational this year in a 15,000 to 20,000-square-foot space. Read more >>
Arizona to get millions to build electric car charging stations along interstates
The Arizona Department of Transportation is aiming to provide a big boost to the batteries of electric car vehicles. The agency recently announced a new effort to build electric vehicle charging stations along major interstates across Arizona. “There is certainly going to be a need at some point to have more charging stations if it doesn’t already exist,” says Doug Nick with ADOT. The state would receive $76,000,000 from the federal government over the next five years to fund the project. Read more >>
Study: AZ can save billions by converting to electric vehicles by 2035
A new report found by speeding up the timetable to fully adopt electric vehicles, Arizona could reap significant health and economic benefits in the decades ahead. The study said by setting and meeting a goal of 100% all-electric new vehicles by 2035, Arizona would save billions of dollars and significantly reduce fossil-fuel pollution. Alex Routhier, senior energy policy analyst for Western Resource Advocates, which developed the report, said policymakers need to rethink their goals for making Arizona carbon-neutral. Read more >>
My View: Investing in clean energy creates more Arizona jobs and market stability
As Congress debates how to reduce our overdependence on fossil fuels, Arizona is ready for a clean-energy strategy that helps consumers struggling with spiking gas prices and brings green jobs and big savings for families. Arizona can lead the way. Under Gov. Doug Ducey’s pro-business policies, we’ve built a strong base of electric-vehicle and lithium-ion battery manufacturing companies. Nearly 5,000 Arizona workers work at 16 separate companies making and servicing zero-emission trucks and buses. Want an electric vehicle? You can get one built here. Want to retrofit your gas-guzzler? We’re working on that, too. Read more >>
ADOT making plans for electric vehicle charging stations along Arizona freeways
Arizona transportation officials are working on plans to create a statewide network of electric vehicle charging stations. Arizona is due to receive $76.5 million from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program over the next five years to deploy EV fast chargers along the state’s interstate freeway system, the state Department of Transportation said in a press release Thursday. The state is required to submit a high-level plan to the Federal Highway Administration in August to maximize federal funding opportunities for the project. ADOT hired AECOM Consultants to help develop the plan. Read more >>
Here’s why sustainability innovators are planting roots in Arizona
Arizona has increasingly become home to a cluster of industries that can only be described as world-changing. They are sectors that drive “sustainability,” and include electric and zero-emission vehicle manufacturing, next-generation battery technology, solar and other clean energy production, biodegradable materials, freshwater science, agritech, and more. From its 1-million-square-foot factory in Coolidge, Nikola Motors celebrated a milestone last month: the production launch of its first fully-electric semis. Read more >>
Clean energy and electric vehicles will help Arizonans’ pocketbooks and national security
Fossil fuels are an inherently destabilizing force, as events in Ukraine remind us. Recently, the Biden administration banned American purchases of Russian oil, methane gas and coal to punish the country for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Our reliance on fossil fuels is increasingly a threat to our national and economic security. It’s why we must accelerate the transition to stable, locally produced renewable energy. Read more >>
Arizona universities, energy providers unite for planned regional hydrogen hub
Arizona’s largest universities and energy providers have set out to create more carbon-neutral economic opportunities in the state, starting with plans for a massive regional hydrogen hub. Leaders from Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, Arizona Public Service, Salt River Project, Tucson Electric Power and Southwest Gas recently announced plans to come together in a new effort aimed at decarbonizing the state’s economy. This coalition has formed the Center for an Arizona Carbon-Neutral Economy, which will be based at ASU’s Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory on the Tempe Campus. Read more >>
More Phoenix school districts adding electric buses to their fleets
School districts across the city are working to change their bus fleets to electric, and parents are on board. The advantages are evident to families with school-age children, particularly kids with health issues. Two mothers interviewed by Cronkite News said their daughters with asthma saw respiratory problems improve after avoiding regular school buses, which run on diesel fuel. “My eighth-grader has asthma, and she has benefited more from the electric bus,” said Elba Sánchez, a parent volunteer at Justine Spitalny Elementary School in Maryvale. “She had very constant asthma attacks, and now she even forgets to use the inhaler.” Read more >>