Clean energy news: November 2021

Sinema must support clean energy investments in Build Back Better Act

Congress is now debating legislation that could unleash $115 billion in new investments for Arizona, securing our state’s position as a national leader in clean energy innovation and ensuring a growing economy for generations of Arizonans to come. But none of this will happen if Sen. Kyrsten Sinema doesn’t support strong clean energy investments in the Build Back Better Act. The Build Back Better Act is a comprehensive plan to expand our clean energy economy and create millions of new jobs, providing a path to prosperity for decades. Read more >>

‘Solar choice’ program launches for customers interested in supporting clean energy in Arizona

The climate crisis affects Arizonans differently, but action will benefit us all

The 360-degree view of Phoenix atop Piestewa Peak is the ultimate reward for hikers like me who trek to the top. It also showcases the disparities in Phoenix neighborhoods: Some filled with lush trees and landscaping, others with gravel and palm trees. It wasn’t until I studied environmental health that I understood how this disparity often leads to temperatures 10 degrees hotter in under-resourced neighborhoods compared to high-income areas. Read more >>

Electric vehicles are hot for Arizona

There was a time when going to the mall meant shopping for clothes and home knick-knacks – offering a lot of choices thanks to there being a number of stores conveniently in one place. Now, it can mean shopping for one of an individual’s biggest purchases: a car. Electric vehicles are making this merchandizing move. Scottsdale Fashion Square boasts a collection of three manufacturers. Tesla was first, a few years ago, showing off its vehicles in its showroom in the heavy traffic aisle by Nordstrom across from the Microsoft Store. Read more >>

National construction company completes massive solar project in West Valley

Arizona needs Sinema’s climate leadership

Environmental advocates across Arizona were encouraged recently when Senator Kyrsten Sinema spoke powerfully about the challenges facing Arizona due to the climate crisis. As she told The Arizona Republic, “We know that a changing climate costs Arizonans. And right now, we have the opportunity to pass smart policies to address it.” Sinema particularly emphasized the dire costs of “[the] increasing wildfires to the severe droughts, to shrinking water levels at Lake Mead, [to] damage to critical infrastructure.” Read more >>

A Valley nonprofit dedicated to helping kids of all ages and backgrounds who are in the foster care system, Aid to Adoption of Special Kids (AASK), is the recipient of a new solar system, courtesy of the 2021 SRP Solar for Nonprofits program. The donated solar system will be located at the AASK Chandler office and built on top of a parking lot structure, or “solar canopy,” also donated by SRP Solar for Nonprofits. The solar system will not only shade cars parked at the facility, it will also produce about 20 kilowatts (kW) of solar energy which will help the foster care agency benefit from substantial energy savings. Read more >>

A recent report commissioned by the Arizona Corporation Commission likely overstated the costs for utilities to increase their clean electricity resources in coming years, presenting a flawed outlook at the effects of the state’s proposed Clean Energy Rules, according to the Arizona Technology Council and the sustainability nonprofit Ceres. Read more >>