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Better living through sustainability
Calendar of sustainability-related events

 

 
Resource-based development focus areaEnergy Efficiency & Renewable Energy focus areaGreen Materials & Porducts focus areaSustainable Tourism focus areaMicro-enterprises focus areaThe Green Triangle

New wind farm shows power of innovative policymaking

Arizona Daily Sun Editorial • July 25, 2010

Whoever said that the states are the laboratories of democracy certainly got it right, at least when it comes to energy policy.

While Washington dithers over how to hold coal-fired power plants accountable for all the CO2 they emit for free into a rapidly warming atmosphere, states like Arizona are tweaking tax policies and regulatory standards until they finally jump-start the renewable energy industry.
The latest example comes with news that Arizona Public Service has finally awarded a contract for wind power from an in-state site. Yes, the winning bidder, NextEra, is from Florida. But at least the jobs in construction and operations at the facility north of Williams will be local, not in New Mexico, where APS previously had bought power.

The Arizona Legislature had previously approved tax credits for wind and solar energy developers, but they weren't competitive with neighboring states like New Mexico and California. When state tax revenues plunged, lawmakers said they couldn't afford to increase the credits, meaning plans for a host of local wind and solar plants stayed on the shelf.

UNDERWRITING COMPETING STATES
The Arizona Corporation Commission had required commercially owned utilities like APS to generate 20 percent of their electricity by 2020 from renewable energy, but it hadn't specified the location. That meant that Flagstaff-area public agencies and businesses, through the Sustainable Economic Development Initiative, were paying a renewable energy premium on their electric bills in hopes of future price breaks but in the meantime underwriting wind farms and solar plants in competing states.

Finally, as part of the most recent APS rate case, the ACC added a "Buy Arizona Wind" clause to its renewable energy standard, and the Perrin Ranch Wind Energy Center west of Highway 64 is the result. When operational in 2012, it will be the state's largest wind farm, generating several dozen jobs along with lease payments to private landowners and the state. (read more...)

SEDI identifies relevant trends to inform strategic choices

SEDI White Paper • July 6, 2010 • by Ron Hubert

At the end of April 2010, after almost 5 years of service, SEDI held a retreat to focus on 1) how economic development conditions and the issues needing attention have changed since the organization’s founding, and 2) how SEDI can best deploy its resources given the current trends affecting economic development. Incoming President and Board Chairman Ron Hubert prepared a white paper in advance of the meeting to address these issues.

Ron's paper argued that the trends most relevant to SEDI are local ones: social, economic and environmental. But the context for these local trends is created by national and global trends. These local, national and global trends are intertwined and interdependent. (read more...)

Arizona mantra: “Shine, baby, shine”

Arizona Daily Sun Op Ed • May 18, 2010 • by Benjamin Grumbles

Arizonans are closer than you think to the oily blowout and ecological disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico. We're connected by the environmental, economic and energy impacts of the April 20 "earthquake" that rocked BP's world and Transocean's Deepwater Horizon oil rig and, like everyone else, we will be feeling the aftershocks for years to come.

We may pay more for gasoline and seafood in the coming weeks but the "good" news for Arizona in this tragedy is we have the opportunity, more than ever before, to show the world that cleaner options, such as solar and biofuel supplies, are right here, right now. And let's not forget all that wind power in northern Arizona. (read more...)

Builders ready to go solar

Arizona Daily Sun Op Ed • May 18, 2010 • by Tim Kinney

The economic downturn has been tough on all of us.

I've owned a Flagstaff construction company for 11 years and, as anyone can tell you, these have been some of the most difficult years our industry has ever seen. We've all been hit hard.

As other companies were forced to cut jobs, I knew I had to try something different to succeed. So, we started an energy division and now we design and install solar panels at commercial and institutional locations all over the state. Our clients are able to save on their energy costs and reduce their carbon footprint.

Our energy division has saved one-third of the jobs at Kinney Construction and now 2010 will be a decent year for our company.

That's something all of Arizona can learn from. I know that in the same way clean, renewable energy helped me save jobs, making clean energy a priority in our state can create jobs. (read more...)

Tracking the sun for profit

Arizona Daily Sun • May 9, 2010 • by Joe Ferguson

Mark Scanlon is chasing sunlight.

For years, the founder of Sedona Energy Labs has worked on sustainable energy solutions for homes and businesses, including helping to build the first solar home in Flagstaff.

But as he sketched out an off-the-grid power source for his cabin in Colorado, Scanlon came to realize the fixed installation of solar was going to take a long time to pay for itself.

So he began to tinker with LED sensors, actuators and simple circuitry to get his solar panels to mimic Mother Nature: Have his panels follow the sun throughout the day.

Scanlon is now about a month away from beginning to offer solar installation companies his HelioFrame system -- which he believes can be smaller, more efficient and less expensive than traditional photovoltaic systems. (read more...)

No more Lone Rangers: Regional economic model revived

Arizona Daily Sun • April 18, 2010 • by Joe Ferguson

Flagstaff City Manager Kevin Burke spent countless hours last year in various meeting rooms as part of his self-described economic "listening tour."

The departure of Community Investment Director Michael Kerski gave Burke the opportunity to create a new economic development model for the city and the region.

The tour affirmed what the business community already knew: Economic development in northern Arizona was a disjointed effort scattered among various agencies with their own constituencies.

But with the founding of the Economic Collaborative of Northern Arizona later this year, Burke and several other community leaders hope to reinvent economic development with a regional view in mind. Burke said he draws on his experience from working at the city of Littleton, Colo., for a number of years. (read more...)

SCA Tissue: Not just a paper tiger

Arizona Daily Sun • April 18, 2010 • by Joe Ferguson

Paper being recycled throughout Flagstaff is getting a new life at the local SCA Tissue plant.

And so is the city's treated wastewater.

As Earth Day approaches, Flagstaff can lay claim to one of this country's most sustainable paper mills -- it uses no virgin fiber and only one-fourth as much water as the industry standard.

The Philadelphia-based company currently brings in tons of recycled material by the truckload to convert it into Tork-brand toilet paper, napkins and paper towels for hotels, restaurants and other institutional clients.

But don't let the trucks fool you. There is also a significant local contribution: Shredded paper from the city of Flagstaff, Coconino County and countless local businesses are being used as well.

The finished products from the SCA Tissue plant are considered to be 100 percent recycled fiber. (read more...)

Experts: Spend it on retrofits

Arizona Daily Sun • April 16, 2010 • by Cyndy Cole

The first Earth Day in 1970 was born out of the belief that ordinary people could make a difference.

It promoted the idea that individual actions like recycling a soda can or planting a tree could have a sweeping, positive impact on preserving natural resources if many people each did a little.

Forty years later, climate scientists are enlisting not individuals but entire countries in the latest environmental cause: cutting Earth-warming gases in every sector. They say the potential impact of not acting could far outweigh past environmental concerns like acid rain, or pesticides.

With that in mind, the Daily Sun asked people who spend their days thinking about such things: What would be the most effective use of the nearly $1 million in fees Flagstaff residents pay each year for sustainability efforts at the city? (read more...)

Renewable Energy 101: Let utilities pay upfront

Arizona Daily Sun editorial • April 15, 2010

As Earth Day 2010 approaches in the Flagstaff region, one thing's for certain: State-regulated utilities certainly don't look and act like they did on that first Earth Day 40 years ago.

The proof was reported on the front page of the Daily Sun by Cyndy Cole just last week: Both APS and Unisource Gas, suppliers of electricity and natural gas, respectively, to most of northern Arizona, are ready to pay up front for new energy conservation devices on private homes and businesses.

Note that this is not the old approach that requires a homeowner to invest tens of thousands of dollars up front to install an array of rooftop solar panels or a new, more efficient gas furnace and attic insulation, then apply for tax credits and rebates to defray some of the costs.

Instead, both utilities will provide the cash up front, then repay themselves out of future monthly customer bills. Once the investment in the hardware is paid off, the customer pays lower bills that reflect less energy use and gets to keep the more efficient hardware, too. (read more...)

Report: Economic Opportunities for Arizona in National Clean Energy and Climate Change Legislation

The Landsward Institute • April 2010

Arizona’s economy would benefit significantly from an aggressive, nationwide clean energy development and climate change mitigation policy. Arizona has the best solar energy resource in the nation, as well as significant developable wind resources, and with its increased focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency technology and manufacturing, is in prime position to become a national leader in this regard.

Over the next 10-15 years, development of renewable and nuclear energy sources in Arizona could generate billions of dollars in economic impacts, tens of thousands of construction-phase jobs, and thousands of permanent jobs. (read more...)

Contractors begin home energy retrofits

Arizona Daily Sun • April 6, 2010 • by Joe Ferguson

Prudencia Maestas stood in the kitchen of her home Friday looking intently at a red plastic door attached to a large fan.

James Bellar of Flagstaff-based E3 Energy raised his voice slightly in order to be heard over the hum of the fan, explaining that by pressurizing the Southside home he could test it for leaks.

The test was the first of hundreds expected to be performed under the city's residential energy efficiency program.

In exchange for a modest fee, homeowners can take steps to reduce their energy costs through a few basic home improvements performed by a licensed contractor. (read more...)

Utilities offer free upgrades

Arizona Daily Sun • April 3, 2010 • by Cyndy Cole

Flagstaff-area homeowners are going to be able to apply for home improvements that cost them nothing up front and save them money later on gas and electric bills.

That's a result of two Thursday decisions out of the Arizona Corporation Commission relating to natural gas costs and a solar power panel project.
One would have customers essentially lease their roof space to an electric company for electricity generation via solar panels.

In return, portions of those homeowners' electric bills would be locked in for 20 years.

The other would finance home improvements such as a new furnace or sealing leaky ducts by paying for these improvements over time with the natural gas saved and the heat not wasted. (read more...)

Report: Tribes key in renewable energy development

Associated Press • March 22, 2010 • by Felicia Fonseca

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — American Indian tribes have huge potential to develop renewable energy resources on their lands but first must overcome a number of challenges, namely financial, according to a report released Tuesday.

Tribal lands make up about 5 percent of the United States and hold an estimated 10 percent of the country's renewable resources. Projects to harness the sun's energy, particularly in the Southwest, and to use wind power in the Great Plains and Alaska's coastal Native villages are the most promising, the report by the National Wildlife Federation said. (read more...)

Coordinate tourism strategy to preserve sense of place

AZ Daily Sun Editorial • March 7, 2010

Like nature, tourism abhors a vacuum.

Leave a niche unfilled for lack of planning or coordination, and before long some entrepreneur will come along to fill it.

The two most recent examples in northern Arizona are Bearizona in Williams and a Navajo casino at Twin Arrows.

Some might see them as bookends to a shelf full of other things to do in Flagstaff.

To others, they are two sides of a mass tourism vise squeezing the life out of the historic, cultural and natural attractions that Flagstaff and its neighbor to the south, Sedona, are seeking to promote.

It wasn't too long ago that "sustainable" tourism was the buzz word of the day on the Colorado Plateau. Economic development officials worked with visitor bureaus in the region to conceive the "Grand Circle." The national parks, forests and monuments of the Four Corners states would serve as anchors, supplemented by attractions like Navajo trading posts, museums, observatories, guided wilderness trips and walking tours of Hopi villages.

The idea was to give Grand Canyon visitors a reason to stay more than one night in the region and to create better-paying jobs beyond short-order cooks and motel housekeepers.

But like many good ideas, without a champion, the Grand Circle never was closed. No tax incentives for creating jobs in those niches were ever implemented, nor was the Grand Circle ever promoted statewide or nationally. (read more...)

Springerville targeted for Co2-based geothermal energy

New York Times • February 18, 2010 • by Phil Taylor

A geothermal startup is hoping to use the world's most abundant greenhouse gas to extract heat buried deep below the Arizona high desert, while preventing millions of tons of the gas from ever reaching the atmosphere.

Utah-based GreenFire Energy plans to tap naturally occurring carbon dioxide (C02) from the St. Johns Dome formation about a half-mile underneath the Arizona-New Mexico border near the town of Springerville, Ariz.

The CO2, once compressed to a supercritical state, will then be reinjected into a deeper formation to carry heat to the surface and power a 2-megawatt geothermal plant. Meanwhile, a small portion of the CO2 is expected to become permanently trapped in porous underground rocks.

Power plants and other industrial facilities will also eventually be able to pipe their CO2 emissions to GreenFire's wells, to both boost geothermal power production and reduce overall CO2 emissions, said Randy Balik, the firm's vice president of business development.

"It could be a game-changing electric generation technology," Balik said. (read more...)

Sustainability in Schools – SEDI to award cash to teachers

SEDI Press Release • February 8, 2010

SEDI is pleased to announce the first annual Sustainability in Education for the 21st Century awards. Up to four prizes of $500 each will be awarded. The contest period is the 2009/2010 school year.

Grade categories are K-3, 4-6, 7-8, and 9-12. All classroom teachers in Coconino County schools as well as those in schools in Winslow and greater Sedona are eligible.

The purpose of this award is to encourage and recognize development and implementation of innovative educational approaches that instill in students the importance, value and practicality of local environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability.

The awards will be granted to teachers or groups of teachers for the development and implementation of lessons, units or projects that reflect and reinforce the principles of sustainability for the 21st century.

The lesson, unit or project must have a clear connection to the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability as reflected by the general goals of SEDI. SEDI supports various organizations and government entities that work to foster social equity, economic prosperity, and ecological health in Coconino County.

The award will be based on innovative approaches, actions taken, and outcomes that demonstrate practical application that empowers action at the local level.

Applications must be postmarked by 5:00 PM on May 7, 2010 and mailed to P.O. Box 22100, Flagstaff, AZ 86002. Judging will occur between May 10 and 14. Final classroom presentation to the winners will occur during the week of May 17.The Application is available here.

For more information, please contact John Grahame, SEDI Program Coordinator.

Energy efficiency to shine in 2010

San Jose Mercury News • January 26, 2010 • by Dana Hull

Solar and wind power may get the headlines and attention, but green-tech experts say 2010 will be dominated by energy efficiency, the mundane but critical process of cutting the amount of gas and electricity that homes and offices use.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu regularly describes himself as an "energy-efficiency nut." Sixteen states, including California and New York, have passed legislation enabling homeowners to finance energy-efficiency upgrades through their property taxes. President Barack Obama even declared insulation "sexy" at a Home Depot last month.

Then there are the sheer numbers. Venture capital investment in energy efficiency hit a record in 2009: at least 115 deals worth nearly $1 billion,
according to a preliminary tally by the Cleantech Group and Deloitte. That's up 39 percent from 2008. Meanwhile, solar, which had 84 deals worth about $1.2 billion, was down 64 percent from 2008, and there's increasing talk about solar being "overfunded." (read more...)

Sharpen regional focus on responding to climate change

Arizona Daily Sun editorial • December 30, 2009

It's been said in journalism circles that global warming should be on the front page every day, so serious are its implications for the entire planet.

That hasn't happened yet, although stories about climate change have certainly become more frequent on A1, both at the Arizona Daily Sun and newspapers throughout the world. Crises sell newspapers, and many scientists believe that Earth is already in crisis, so high have carbon dioxide levels become. The rate of carbon emissions, they contend, must not only be slowed but reversed if life as we know it is to survive into the next century.

Here in Flagstaff and on the Colorado Plateau, rapid warming is both a curse as well as an opportunity. A decade-long regional drought has been linked by some scientists to human-caused climate change, and it threatens not only the ecological balance but the ability of human communities to provide sufficient food and water at current rates of growth. Although Flagstaff is not as dependent as Phoenix on Colorado River water or as vulnerable to extreme summer heat, its pine forests at 7,000 feet are less resistant to disease and pests and more prone to catastrophic crown fires. Throw in the impact to tourism -- the city's second biggest employer behind government -- of rapid climate change, and Flagstaff has just as big a stake as the Maldives in stopping the rise of global temperatures. (read more...)

Navajo wind farm set

Arizona Daily Sun • December 28, 2009 • by Cyndy Cole

The Navajo Nation has announced plans to break ground on a $200 million wind farm late in 2010 on ranch lands about 80 miles west of Flagstaff.

If built, it would be the second large-scale wind farm in northern Arizona, following the construction of one south of Holbrook that is smaller.

The Navajo Nation, Foresight Wind Energy and Edison Mission Energy propose to build a 48-turbine array by December 2011, and to sell the electricity produced from the wind farm in Arizona.

The wind farm is proposed for the Big Boquillas Ranch, which stretches from the very windy Aubrey Cliffs northwest of Seligman to an area west of Valle and south of the Grand Canyon.

If operating at about the same efficiency as the proposed Dry Lake wind farm near Winslow, the 85-megawatt wind farm would generate enough electricity to power more than 20,200 homes when operating at full capacity. (read more...)

Sustainable businesses bright spot in economy

Phoenix Business Journal • December 28, 2009 • by Patrick O'Grady

Sustainable businesses provided a bright spot to the downtrodden this past year, and they could help lead the way as the state rebounds from the recession.

From solar announcements to the largest green building conference descending on the Valley, green business got its biggest push as utilities looked to expand their portfolios and state leaders hoped to establish a new manufacturing base in Arizona.

The state scored its second solar panel manufacturer late in the year when Suntech Power Holdings, one of the largest Chinese solar manufacturers, picked the Valley as home for its first U.S. plant. More of those announcements should be on the way since the state passed incentives designed to lure renewable power industries, said Barry Broome, CEO and president of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

“I think next year will be a good year for the state,” said Broome, who added there are a handful of companies keeping Arizona on a shortlist of potential location sites. (read more...)

Local builder Thad Johnson goes green

Williams-Grand Canyon News December 22, 2009 by Ryan Williams

WILLIAMS - Local architectural designer Thad Johnson is on a mission to build sustainable off-grid homes that are good for the environment and save homeowners money in the long run, something everyone can appreciate in today's economy.

Johnson own Williams based Solar Terra LLC and, along with Mike Tulloss of Stilley-Tulloss Design Build Group, is currently constructing a high efficiency off-grid home scheduled to win a Coconino County Sustainable Building Award in 2010.

The home, located off Highway 180, will have no volatile organic chemical (VOC) emissions, lower sound levels due to efficient insulation, utilize thermal mass passive solar to regulate temperatures and feature extensive natural light. It will not only meet its own heat and electric energy needs, but also will harvest rainwater and utilize grey water for irrigation as well. (read more...)

APS rate case, state energy efficiency rules approved

Phoenix Business Journal • December 17, 2009 • by Patrick O'Grady

Arizona Public Service Co. finally got its 20-month-old request for a rate increase approved on Wednesday night by the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve the increase. Gary Pierce was the dissenting vote.

APS officials said the decision will help the utility keep its financing standing in good order. The company had argued that, without the increases, its bond rating would fall to junk status, making it much harder to gain financing in the future -- and more expensive for ratepayers.

“This agreement should provide APS a level of financial stability that allows the company to make smart investments in renewable resources and electric infrastructure, while also helping customers manage their bills with strong energy efficiency programs,” said APS President and Chief Operating Officer Don Robinson. (read more...)

SunWind Solutions customizes energy installation

Arizona Daily Sun • November 28, 2009 • by Joe Ferguson

For homeowners who decide they want to install solar panels or a wind turbine, the next choices require some advanced calculations.

No, not how to finance the devices.

That's easy compared to the complex engineering needed to determine how many solar panels would be a good fit for a business or whether enough wind blows through a homeowner's back yard to justify the tens of thousands of dollars for a turbine.

But a local business has recently released a software package that could ease the headaches associated with modeling solar and wind systems for businesses as well as homes.

SunWind Solutions, founded by NAU graduate Brad Van Orden, offers a software package that would help a person custom-design a system that integrates sustainable power sources with their home or business. (read more...)

National Bank of Arizona funds PHX residential solar

Phoenix Business Journal • November 10, 2009 • by Patrick O'Grady

National Bank of Arizona, SolarCity and Arizona Public Service Co. are teaming on a $25 million effort to land more solar systems on the city’s residential rooftops, with a backup to potential leases provided by the city of Phoenix.

The plan, to be announced Tuesday, calls for National Bank of Arizona to supply funding for what could be about 1,000 solar systems for Phoenix residents. It’s a move officials say could knock down the high entry cost for distributed solar and provide jobs in the city.

“It will be a major program in its scale within the country,” said Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon. (read more...)

There's a new sheriff in town

The Huffington Post • November 10, 2009 • Brian Keene (President of SmartPower)

It's fair to say that environmentalists have just about always considered America's utility companies the bad guys. While utilities create and deliver the energy we rely on everyday to power our homes and our lifestyles, they also typically fight most environmental regulations and clean energy expansion.

However, these days there seems to be a new kind of utility -- and utility CEO -- emerging.

Utility heads like John Rowe of Exelon and Jim Rogers of Duke Energy are now sharing the playing field with leaders like Don Brandt: the courtly, driven and pragmatic Chief Executive Officer of Arizona Public Service (APS). Almost overnight Brandt is making APS a true champion in battling climate change and expanding clean energy resources, while continuing to provide safe, reliable and affordable power to his customers. (read more...)

2009 "What's New" Archives

2008 “What's New” Archives

2007 “What's New” Archives

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