Clean Energy News September 2026 Archives - Arizona Technology Council

SRP Invests $3M in Arizona’s Public Universities for Power, Water and Wildfire Research

Image: InBusiness PHX inBusinessphx Salt River Project has invested $3 million in 34 research and development projects with Arizona’s three largest public universities – Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona – as part of an ongoing effort to support reliable power and water delivery to SRP customers. Every project awarded funding by...

Editorial: Wind power in Pinal

Pinalcentral Electricity demand in Arizona just keeps growing, with more people here and more use of the power in many ways. Along with that comes a desire for “clean energy,” or power generation without emissions. A switch from coal to natural gas power plants has helped. However, use of renewable energy is attractive to most people. Now, a major source of wind energy has come to...

Salt River Project greenlights massive Pinal County energy center with solar, gas and storage

Image: SRP has a new power project in the works for Pinal County. Jim Poulin | Phoenix Business Journal Phoenix Business Journal The Salt River Project gave the go-ahead this week for development of a massive energy generation and storage project to be built in Pinal County. The project, called the Marigold Energy Center, will be located on various parcels of land around the unincorp...

Goodyear approves Desert Rainbow Solar Project

Westvalleyview The Goodyear City Council approved a special use permit for a sprawling solar energy and battery storage project in south Goodyear that is expected to generate millions of dollars in tax revenue and hundreds of construction jobs. The council voted 6-1 to approve Resolution No. 2026-2537 for the Desert Rainbow Solar Project, a utility-scale solar energy generation facili...

Searching for breakthroughs in generating fusion energy

AZPM Fusion technology holds the promise of solving the world’s energy challenges. University of Arizona SVP for Research and Partnerships Tomas Diaz de la Rubia discusses the latest breakthroughs in developing fusion energy and how it has advantages over conventional power plants. Tomas Diaz de la Rubia spoke with Tim Swindle, professor emeritus of Planetary Science at the Universi...

CLIMATE MATTERS: Tucson, Local First Arizona map path to greener economy

KVOA The City of Tucson and Local First Arizona are working together to expand the region’s clean-energy economy while creating new opportunities for workers and small businesses. The partnership, developed through collaboration with the Urban Institute’s Climate Capacity Initiative, examined how Southern Arizona can connect climate investments to workforce training and lo...

Battery storage projects advance in West Valley as data center demand surges

Image: The Sierra Estrella Energy Storage Facility in Avondale. SRP Phoenix Business Journal A handful of new battery energy storage system facilities are on tap around metro Phoenix as demand swells for power needed to operate future data centers while ensuring grid reliability. Right now, Arizona is leading the country for battery storage capacity growth, with 6.2 gigawatt-hours ...

SRP Completes Five-Year Pipeline Project to Secure Valley’s Water Future

Image: In Business Phoenix inBusinessphx As communities across the Southwest face ongoing drought conditions and increasing water supply challenges, SRP announced the completion of the Gilbert Road Pipeline project — a major infrastructure investment designed to enhance water reliability and operational flexibility throughout the Valley. The new system will enable SRP to move water f...

Battery storage can help keep Arizona power affordable | Opinion

Arizona Republic Arizona knows heat. But in recent years, even long-time residents have felt the difference between a hot summer day and the kind of extreme heat that stretches household budgets, tests local infrastructure and makes reliable electricity a matter of public safety. That is why Arizona utilities are increasingly using flexible technologies like battery energy storage to s...

Arizona leads nation in battery storage growth with 6.2 gigawatt-hours added in Q2

Recurrent Energy’s Papago Storage facility in Tonopah, Arizona. | Blattner Energy Phoenix Business Journal Arizona has become the nation’s growth leader for battery electric storage systems, with more than 6.2 gigawatt-hours of new storage added in the second quarter and two of the nation’s largest projects located in the state. That storage capacity jump made Q2 the stronges...

Copia Power seeks rezoning for 3,100-acre solar and data center project near Phoenix

A growing number of energy generation and data center projects are planned on the outskirts of the Phoenix metro. | Salt River Project Phoenix Business Journal Another solar plant project with battery energy storage systems to help power future data centers is in the works outside of Phoenix. Salt Lake City, Utah-based Copia Power, which develops, builds and operates grid-connected pow...

West Valley city softens proposed battery storage restrictions after industry pushback

Demand for battery energy storage systems, which help power data centers and ensure grid reliability, has exploded. | Steve Johnson Phoenix Business Journal The city of Surprise has spent the past two years trying to work out a new zoning ordinance specifically targeting battery energy storage systems. In that time, demand for these BESS facilities — used to help power data centers a...