TECHNOLOGY
Energy
Clean Energy
The Key to a Better Economy for Arizona
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BY STEVEN G. ZYLSTRA
With the war in Ukraine and the spike in gas prices, it is clearer than ever that we need to invest in clean energy solutions made in America — and led by Arizona businesses. Arizona is in a prime position to lead in the transition to a clean energy economy and end America’s dependence on foreign oil.
bipartisan infrastructure law. These funding streams will be critical to Arizona, especially for high-speed internet services, improved water infrastructure and better roads.
Arizona’s climate and natural beauty are magnets for so many people and employers that they are often why people move here. But if extreme heat, drought and wildfires keep arising, people and companies won't be able to stay.
Another enormous step forward came last fall when the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Build Back Better Act, which included the most aggressive climate action policy ever considered in Congress. This policy would provide $550 billion in investments to put us on a path toward cutting carbon pollution in half by 2030 by trimming energy costs for consumers and creating millions of well-paying cleanenergy jobs.
We must continue to move our economy away from fossil fuels and transition to clean energy technologies. We need to break our addiction to oil, gas and coal while growing Arizona’s clean energy economy with sources like solar, hydrogen and wind. The good news is that progress is possible — if Congress finishes the job it started. Arizona was fortunate last year that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s leadership helped deliver a
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GREEN LIVING
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greenlivingmag.com
This farsighted strategy plays to Arizona’s strengths and will benefit our state for decades to come. Advanced energy sector jobs have topped 60,000 and are growing rapidly, especially in the wind, solar and electric vehicle (EV) sectors. For perspective, that’s more jobs than workers in our
