Clean energy news: June 2024
Over $8.3M in Rebates for Clean School Buses across Arizona Announced
In a significant move, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2023 Clean School Bus Program rebate competition, a key initiative under President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The rebates, totaling $8,345,000 for Arizona, will enable selectees to purchase 30 clean school buses in 10 school districts across the state. This program is a crucial step in Arizona’s journey towards improving children’s health and tackling harmful air pollution, replacing older, diesel-fueled school buses linked to student and community health issues. Read more >>
SRP employees help bring electricity to Navajo Nation
Salt River Project crews recently participated in the Light Up Navajo initiative to bring electricity to homes on the Navajo Nation.
SRP line crews spent two weeks working on the effort in an area where homes are often spread out, requiring several miles of poles and electrical lines to provide power to a single house, according to a Salt River Project release. Read more >>
Phoenix ranks high for sustainable development in national cities report
Phoenix is among the top 10% of U.S. cities for sustainability and is one of the top five cities for sustainable development, according to a new report.
The 2024 Most Sustainable Cities report from LawnStarter ranked Phoenix No. 46 overall out of the 500 largest cities nationwide in an analysis that looked at 39 total metrics in five categories that included policies, development, pollution, transportation and food production. Read more >>
Arizona advances in renewable energy with federal investments
Arizona is on the frontline for up-and-coming solutions to address climate change thanks to federal investments for renewable energy.
That’s what Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) said today at a press conference alongside Arizona State Senator Priya Sundareshan (LD-18) and other local solar industry leaders outside of the local solar manufacturing facility, Solar Gain Inc. in Tucson. Read more >>
Arizona to invest $8.5 million for water conservation project
Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly announced Friday that $8.5 million will be invested in Arizona to continue a feasibility study related to water conservation.
The study identifies alternatives to address water storage lost due to sediment accumulation and manage future sediment accumulation in Horseshoe and Bartlett reservoirs. Read more >>
Throwing shade: How to get 2 free trees from SRP this summer
It’s no secret that Arizona gets during the summer. And as temperatures continue to rise each year, so do electric bills.
That’s why the Salt River Project is giving out free trees.
Now in its 13th year, SRP’s Shade Tree program is a free workshop offered twice a year to the power and water company’s roughly 2 million residential customers. Participants who attend one virtual shade tree workshop receive two free saplings to plant in their yards that will eventually provide shade for their homes. Read more >>
Solar deal to shade 660 downtown parking spaces
Mesa City Council approved an agreement last week with Tucson-based Solon Corporation to install almost 3,000 kW of solar panels over parking lots at four city-owned buildings in downtown Mesa.
The panels will generate enough energy to power 500 homes annually.
Besides boosting the Mesa electric utility’s renewable energy portfolio, the solar arrays will also provide shade for about 660 parking spaces. Most visible of these will be the 142 in front of the Main Library. Read more >>
Clean energy creates $78M in annual revenue helping Arizona Communities
Clean Energy Powers Arizona, a report published by the American Clean Power Association, shows that 12% of electricity in the state is provided by wind and solar.
Clean energy investment is poised to grow through 2030 as the state’s booming population and businesses demand more American-produced power, according to a press release. Read more >>