An Opportunity for Clean Local Energy in Arizona
The adoption of a CLEAN Program in Arizona would allow individuals to turn the year-round sunshine into cost-effective clean local energy.
A recent report by the Energy Information Administration revealed that Arizona is one of only four American states that generate less than one percent of their electricity from non-hydro renewables. This is shocking news given that Arizona boasts one of the strongest solar resources in the country.
The adoption of a CLEAN Program in Arizona would allow individuals to turn the year-round sunshine that beats down on parking lots, rooftops, and vacant urban spaces into cost-effective clean local energy, while also creating jobs throughout the state.
Unlike most states, Arizona’s public utilities commission – the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) – is an elected and constitutional agency, meaning the 5-member ACC regulates Arizona’s utilities independent of the state’s legislature and governor. Therefore, this 5-member agency wields tremendous power in setting Arizona’s energy policies. With three pro-solar votes on the ACC, Arizona could become one of the nation’s most promising locations for solar development.
In 2011, Commissioners Paul Newman and Sandra Kennedy diligently worked to defend the state’s burgeoning solar industry. Now, with Sandra Kennedy and Marcia Busching both strongly supporting clean local energy in the ACC, the re-election of Commissioner Newman would ensure that the majority of the ACC supports aggressive policies to ramp up production of clean local energy. If re-elected, Commissioner Newman plans to increase the Renewable Energy Standard, develop a new energy efficiency scheme, pursue the “rate-basing” of solar, and implement clean local energy strategies, such as a CLEAN Program.
To learn more about Arizona’s energy future or about Commissioner Paul Newman, contact Will Greene at [email protected] or (206) 799-2790.
