Clean energy news: September 2022
Phoenix Sky Harbor is a sustainability leader among U.S. airports, gets top rating
NASA satellite photos show how drastically the water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead have receded in just the past few years. They demonstrate the severity of long-term drought and the challenges Arizona will face to conserve and enhance its precious water supply. Read more >>
Nikola to launch joint venture with German energy provider
Phoenix-based Nikola extended its German connection on Friday by announcing a planned joint venture with E.ON, a European utilities company. Nikola Corp. (Nasdaq: NKLA) will work with Essen, Germany-based E.ON on a partnership aimed at decarbonizing heavy-duty trucking through the use of vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel. Read more >>
‘It’s getting close’: As the megadrought grinds on, Arizona working to meet water demands
NASA satellite photos show how drastically the water levels in Lake Powell and Lake Mead have receded in just the past few years. They demonstrate the severity of long-term drought and the challenges Arizona will face to conserve and enhance its precious water supply. Read more >>
ADOT statewide electric vehicle charger plan gets approval
Arizona is one of the first states in the nation to have its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan given the stamp of approval from the Federal Highway Administration. The Arizona Department of Transportation submitted its draft proposal in August and with the federal approval this week, $11.3 million will be made available immediately with another $16.3 million coming in October of this year to begin implementing the plan. Read more >>
Building co. gears up workforce to construct nearby solar facility
Texas Co. partners to roll out 13,980 electric car chargers in Arizona
Invisible Urban Charging announced that it is partnering with EV Charging of Arizona to roll out 13,980 chargers for electric vehicles (“EV”) into the State of Arizona, increasing its total number of EV chargers seven times. Arizona has more than 40,000 registered electric vehicles, according to a June 2022 report from the U.S. Department of Energy. Read more >>
Atlis Motor Vehicles gains conditional approval for Nasdaq listing
Atlis Motor Vehicles, an electric vehicle startup based in Mesa, said Tuesday that it had gained conditional approval from the Nasdaq Stock Market to list its shares, but public financial documents show that company still faces several hurdles before reaching production. AMV, which was founded in 2016, is still years away from putting one of its electric trucks on the road, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission dated August 26. Read more >>
SRP reports more electric vehicle drivers in its service territory than projected for 2022
Salt River Project (SRP) surpassed its goal to have 23,000 electric vehicles (EVs) in the SRP service territory by the end of its fiscal year 2022, with a total of more than 29,200 EVs leased or purchased within the area as of April 30, 2022. “Our overarching goal is to have 500,000 EV’s in our service territory by 2035,” said Jim Pratt, SRP’s chief customer executive. “With the latest metrics, we saw over a 40% increase in EV’s from the previous year, and we are about 6% of the way to our 2035 goal, which means we are well on track. Read more >>
POLL: In Arizona and Nevada, climate change solutions supported across racial, political lines
New polling out of Arizona and Nevada commissioned by Dream.Org finds that the majority of voters, regardless of politics or race, believe that climate change is contributing to more extreme weather. The findings come as communities experience higher utility bills and dangerous working conditions from rising temperatures and dangerous weather. Further, a majority of people polled believe that investments like increasing wind and solar power will have an impact in addressing climate change. Read more >>
Solar jobs are coming to Arizona, and environmentalists, economists and engineers can’t wait
Holding up blue and green signs reading “Climate Can’t Wait” and “Fight for Our Future,” a coalition of local leaders on the front lines of Arizona’s climate fight gathered Thursday — just ahead of Labor Day — at the Tempe Transportation Center to celebrate the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The measure, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Aug. 16, includes $369 billion to reduce carbon emissions and expand renewable energy infrastructure, with $60 billion earmarked for clean manufacturing job creation. Read more >>
Ready to buy an electric vehicle? What to know about the new tax breaks
The recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act covers a lot of ground, from reducing some drug prices to imposing a minimum corporate income tax. As much as anything, the legislation provides incentives for green energy. That includes substantial new tax breaks for consumers seeking to buy an electric car or truck. The legislation is complicated, with the overall tax sections alone running to more than 300 pages. But here are some of the key pointers for those who might want to buy a green vehicle. Read more >>
Phoenix-based Singlepoint primed for growth after refocusing solar strategy
Singlepoint, a renewable energy company based in Phoenix, is on track for major growth thanks in part to a new strategy and recently passed federal legislation. Singlepoint Inc. (OTCQB: SING) owns several smaller subsidiary companies, most of which work in the solar industry. Most notably, Singlepoint acquired Boston Solar in April, which has already provided a major boost to revenue this year. Read more >>
Ducey and four other governors proclaim September 26-30, 2022 clean energy week
With the sixth National Clean Energy Week (NCEW) nearly a month away, governors in five states have been the first to issue proclamations recognizing September 26-30, 2022, as Clean Energy Week in their respective states as well. The governors include Doug Ducey (R-Ariz.), Kay Ivey (R-Ala.), , Brad Little (R-Idaho), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) and Mike DeWine (R-Ohio). Read more >>
First Solar to invest $1.2 billion in U.S. manufacturing output following new climate law
Tempe-based First Solar, the largest U.S.-based solar panel manufacturer, announced on Tuesday that it would spend up to $1.2 billion to expand its U.S. manufacturing capacity, mainly in Ohio and the Southeast part of the country. First Solar (Nasdaq: FSLR) said it would spend $1 billion to build a new factory, its fourth, somewhere in the Southeast, but the company would not say which states it is considering. A location decision is expected by the end of September. Read more >>
Nuclear, natural gas and new tech: How Arizona’s largest energy provider aims to go carbon-free by 2050
During a recent conference in Flagstaff, Ted Geisler, president of Arizona Public Service (APS), spoke to community representatives about the power company’s goal to transition fully to carbon-free energy production by 2050. The plan includes heavy reliance on three key factors: nuclear energy, new technology and natural gas. Read more >>
AZ may receive $76.5M for EV charging access
Arizona is on track to receive $76.5 million from the federal government to improve accessibility to electric vehicle charging stations. This is thanks to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Plan. The plan was implemented after bi-partisan support of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Read more >>
These are the tax credits, grants and loans for businesses in the Inflation Reduction Act
Arizona solar businesses, consumers expect to see huge benefits from Inflation Reduction Act