Businesses are driving the expansion of solar energy
Arizona has one of the strongest economies in the country because we are a pro-business state. But what does that mean in practical terms?
It means that Arizona officials — state and local — have a strong track record of listening to the needs of businesses. Then, we make sure those needs are met, whether it’s low taxes, commonsense regulations, skilled workers or a diverse, secure and affordable energy mix.
That last business need — energy — is becoming more important in some surprising ways.
A growing number of businesses want to play an active role in choosing the energy sources that power their operations. Whether it’s generating their own electricity on site or working with a utility company to pick and choose their preferred sources, these businesses are demanding the freedom to do things their way.
For a good example, look no further than The Home Depot, which opened a new location in San Tan Valley last year. The opening of this new location was eagerly anticipated for years and was a major win for Pinal County.
The Home Depot has an aggressive energy-choice strategy. By the end of this decade, it aims to either produce directly or purchase 100% of its electricity needs from renewable sources.
To meet this goal, The Home Depot is pursuing a major construction program for rooftop solar at its stores in Arizona and seven other states. The company already has a mix of solar power and fuel-cell generators at 280 stores nationwide.
The Home Depot is far from alone.
Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble, which is building a manufacturing plant in Coolidge and bringing 500 new jobs to Pinal County, has chosen to power 100% of its global operations with renewable energy by 2030.
The Frito-Lay snack food manufacturing facility in Casa Grande is a major generator of solar power, in line with the company’s choice to power 100% of its plants, offices and distribution centers with renewable energy.
Also in Casa Grande, kitchen and bath products manufacturer Kohler Co. just opened the doors of a newly built plant that will employ 400 people. The company has chosen to power 100% of its North American operations with renewable energy, and in line with that goal, it will install a 21-megawatt solar array and a battery energy storage system on site at the new Pinal County facility.
Then there’s LG Energy Solution. The developer of the massive $5.5 billion battery manufacturing complex in Queen Creek, has specifically cited the growing availability of solar power in Pinal County and the rest of Arizona for choosing to build here.
“There is no better place to build the source of our sustainable energy here in Arizona, where the abundant solar energy surrounds the region,” a senior executive with LG Energy Solution said recently. “Quality batteries, made right here in the Copper State, will reach every corner of America to provide power.”
So, if you are wondering why solar power is expanding so much in Pinal County and the rest of Arizona, the one-word answer is: business.
Business owners in general are demanding more solar power because it’s one of the cheapest sources of electricity on the market — having fallen in cost by more than 80% over the past decade.
And businesses that choose solar are very likely to choose Arizona. Because in addition to all of our economic strengths, our state is one of the best places in the U.S. — and the world — to generate electricity using the power of the sun.