Press Coverage

February 2020

• Gas tax hike bill passes committee
  Eastern Arizona Courier - February 21, 2020
  PHOENIX — State lawmakers took the first steps Wednesday to what could be a doubling of the state’s gasoline tax. HB 2899, approved by the House Transportation Committee on a 6-0 vote, would add six cents to the current 18-cent-a-gallon effective on July 1. That would go up an additional six cents every year until it hits 36 cents on July 1 2023. Potentially more significant, the measure being pushed by Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott, is crafted so that the levy would increase annually starting July 1, 2024 to match inflation. That would preclude the need for future legislators to have to deal with the politically sensitive issue of voting for a tax hike. Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, said that’s how Arizona got to the point where it is now, with road construction needs outstripping the available revenues because the current tax has not been increased since 1991.
• Arizona gasoline tax would double under bill advancing in House
  Tucson.com - February 20, 2020
  PHOENIX — State lawmakers took the first steps Wednesday to what could be a doubling of the state’s gasoline tax. House Bill 2899, approved by the House Transportation Committee on a 6-0 vote, would add six cents on July 1 to the current 18-cents-a-gallon tax. That would go up an additional six cents every year until it hits 36 cents. Potentially more significant, the levy would also increase annually after that to match inflation, under the measure being pushed by Rep. Noel Campbell, R-Prescott. That would preclude the need for future legislators to deal with the politically sensitive issue of voting for a tax hike. Rep. Bob Thorpe, R-Flagstaff, said lack of political willpower is how Arizona got to the point where it is now, with road construction needs outstripping available revenues because the current tax has not increased since 1991.

January 2020

• APS commits to 45% renewables by 2030
  AZBIGMEDIA - January 23, 2020
  Conservation and consumer groups today welcomed Arizona Public Service’s (APS) announcement that will set the utility on a path toward 45 percent renewable energy by 2030 and 100 percent carbon-free electricity by mid-century. Currently, 13 percent of the utility’s electricity is generated from renewable sources. Specifically, the utility is committing to provide 65 percent carbon-free electricity generation by 2030, with 45 percent coming from renewable resources, and to achieve 100 percent carbon-free electricity generation by 2050. APS will close all of its coal-fired power plants by 2031. APS joins six other major electric utilities throughout the United States that have voluntarily committed to 100 percent clean energy: Avista (2045), Duke Energy (2050), Green Mountain Power (2025), Idaho Power (2045), Public Service Company of New Mexico (2040), and Xcel Energy (2050).
• Microgrids Deliver Resiliency, Security and Savings
  loT World Today - January 17, 2020
  The term microgrid suggests thinking small, but the big picture for these IoT-based energy technologies is how they could revolutionize the distribution of electrical energy around the world. Microgrids—often also referred to as smart grids—are essentially subsets of the larger electrical utility grids, designed to give organizations greater control over their energy resources and to make better use of utility-provided energy in conjunction with locally produced power.
• Tri-State rolls out its plan to expand renewable energy across Colorado (PDF - 292 KB)
  Colorado Politics - January 15, 2020
  Westminster-based Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association formally announced Wednesday the news that broke last week at the state Capitol. The outfit that supplies rural electric co-ops is going green after weathering for years the perception by some members and environmental critics that it was resistant to renewable energy in favor of coal. Now it’s aiming to give up coal as a source of energy.
• Coming To Your Town: New Homes Built To Be EV-Ready
  CleanTechnica - January 14, 2020
  The US will need 9.6 million new electric vehicle charging ports by 2030. Where will all those chargers be located? According to recent research, almost 80% of those will be in single and multi-family residential buildings. That’s a big change. Homes in the US are typically built with wiring for only a few 240W outlets in the garage, just enough to handle a washer and dryer. But the International Code Council (ICC) has foreseen the need for this radical increase in EV chargers, and it approved changes to building standards in a 2020 provision that will allow all new homes built in the US to be EV-ready.
• New U.S. Building Codes Require Plugs for Electric Cars
  Quartz - January 10, 2020
  In January, the International Code Council (ICC) approved changes to building standards that preview a world in which every home has at least one electric car. The building standards organization, which sets voluntary guidelines for new homes, voted to approve a new provision that, functionally, will make all new homes built in the US “EV-ready.” SWEEP designed and advocated for the new code.
• These New Building Codes Could Finally Ensure New Houses are Ready for Charging Electric Vehicles
  EE Online - January 8, 2020
  Electric cars are the future of personal vehicles – they’re more efficient than conventional gasoline options, cost far less to operate, and enable significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Electric vehicle (EV) sales are growing quickly; some experts predict they will account for more than 11% of new sales in the United States by 2025, and a majority of sales by 2040. To support this market shift, we need to rethink our transportation infrastructure, and especially how we fuel – or charge – our vehicles.
• Nevada Energy's solar energy plan touted by environmental groups, criticized by others
  The Center Square - January 3, 2020
  Environmental groups are backing a plan by Nevada Energy to add new solar renewable energy projects and energy storage capacity to the state. The plan, approved early last month by the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada, will add 1,190 megawatts of new solar renewable energy projects to Nevada -- capable of powering about 230 homes -- as well as another 590 megawatts of energy storage capacity, and cost about $55 million.