Clean energy news: September 2024
Resource Innovations Partners with Office of Resiliency to Launch ‘Efficiency Arizona’ Energy Saving Programs
Resource Innovations has joined in partnership with the Arizona Governor’s Office of Resiliency to launch Efficiency Arizona, an initiative that will distribute federal dollars to Arizona residents to increase energy efficiency in homes. Read more >>
Navajo Nation receives nearly $5 million to alleviate pollution concerns with orphaned gas, oil wells
The Navajo Nation will receive nearly $5 million in federal funding for necessary work on orphaned oil and gas wells, the U.S. Department of the Interior announced Friday.
On the Navajo land, undocumented wells will be identified and undergo quality assessment. Work will include plugging 19 other wells and verification that the plugging won’t allow further harmful gas emissions. Read more >>
Mesa making strides on climate action plan
Mesa has taken concrete steps toward becoming more eco-friendly, such as purchasing 71 electric work trucks, installing LED lighting at the Red Mountain Baseball Complex and planting 2,400 shade trees. Its progress was the subject of a recent City Council study session.
The Mesa Climate Action Plan aims to achieve carbon neutrality, divert 90% of the city’ waste from the landfill and achieve 100% renewable energy – all by 2050. Read more >>
Town of Gilbert to identify potential EV charging sites
Gilbert town staff will work on a siting plan for an electric vehicle charging infrastructure that will be partly funded by the Maricopa Association of Governments.
The siting plan is a part of the Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Program established by MAG, which awarded the town $95,000. Read more >>
Tucson school board approves project to purchase 10 electric school buses
The Tucson Unified School District is moving forward with plans to introduce electric school buses, marking a significant step toward sustainability. On Tuesday, the TUSD Governing Board approved a proposal to acquire 10 electric school buses, a decision that could transform the district’s student transportation system. Read more >>
Hopi Nation to receive $20 million for solar power project
Top federal officials, including U.S. Secretary Deb Haaland, traveled to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument Thursday to announce a $20 million grant to the Hopi Nation. It’s for a solar power project and 12 miles of powerline that will bring electricity to nearly 900 Hopi homes. Read more >>
U of A researchers working to prevent EV battery fires
of A researchers are developing a framework that uses A.I. and machine learning models to sense, predict and identify lithium-ion battery overheating, known as thermal runaway.
Their goal is that in the future this algorithm could be integrated into an electric vehicle’s battery management system to stop a battery from overheating, and therefore protect drivers, cars, and anything else at risk of being around a battery that could catch fire. Read more >>
BLM releases solar energy plan for 11 western states
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has released a “Western Solar Plan” outlining a large expansion in solar energy development in 11 Western states.
The plan opens 31 million acres of public land to solar energy. It’s an update to the six-state Western Solar Plan released in 2012. Specific projects would still need to be authorized, but the plan is meant to steer solar developers away from areas that are environmentally or culturally sensitive. It identifies sites that are within 15 miles of an existing or proposed transmission line. Read more >>
Hopi and Pima-Maricopa tribes win $30 million to help clean up pollution and transition to clean energy
Nearly $30 million is going to tribes in Arizona to help them cut down on climate pollution and accelerate a transition to clean energy.
The US Environmental Protection Agency said in a press release that Hopi Utilities Corporation and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community have been selected to receive $20.1 and $9.7 million in climate pollution reduction grants. Read more >>
Biden Administration Announces Billions to Support America’s Battery Manufacturing Sector
As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced over $3 billion for 25 selected projects across 14 states to boost the domestic production of advanced batteries and battery materials nationwide. Read more >>
Arizona sees surge in clean energy jobs under Inflation Reduction Act, but some object to the cost
The nation’s first solar-powered cobalt processing facility will break ground next year in Yuma County, a $300 million project subsidized by a big federal investment in climate-friendly projects.
The plan is one of two dozen projects underway in Arizona catalyzed by the Inflation Reduction Act signed by President Joe Biden in August 2022. The law set aside $370 billion to promote clean energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Read more >>
New clean energy initiative brings jobs and lower costs to Arizona
The Biden Administration has announced more than $7.3 billion to build clean energy for rural communities across the country. Sandy Bahr, Director of the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, joined “Arizona Horizon” to discuss this new initiative. This money will be used to finance rural electric cooperatives that will be used through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program. Communities in Arizona will also be receiving some of this money. Read more >>
The impact of renewable energy on Arizona’s real estate market
As the global shift toward sustainability accelerates, renewable energy plays a pivotal role in shaping various sectors, including real estate. Arizona, known for its abundant sunshine and arid climate, is uniquely positioned to lead the charge in adopting green energy solutions, particularly solar power. This transition is not only reshaping the state’s energy landscape but also significantly impacting Arizona’s real estate market. Read more >>