Here and Now: Energy in Arizona

Thanks to NPR for addressing this vital topic. The AP story recently quoted Arizona governor Janet Napolitano as saying, "There is no reason that Arizona should not be the Persian Gulf of solar energy." However AZ has 2 senators: Kyle who voted against the recent Federal Energy Bill, and McCain the only senator in the whole country who did not vote -- this vote failed by one. Thus essentially our own representation on a Federal level is stopping renewable energy developments in their constituent state of AZ! Just as our elected sentors hold positions of great power Federally, Corporation Commissioners hold great power locally to create support for clean renewable energy (which BTW in the case of solar also uses no or little water). My question is how can more people can be involved and educated on the huge impacts to every AZ life and the importance of their making an educated vote count? With ACC elections potentially coming up, this should be a topic very high on the radar for all AZ residents. This should be front page on every newspaper to present the facts of our increasingly busy life in the hot dry desert.

(for more: http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/021208EB.shtml)

What new materials are available that work as well or better than silicon solar panels, and will they be cheaper?

As I traverse Phoenix (via the public transit system) I see the "miles" of public buildings with flat roofs and wonder why the State and local governments aren't using this real estate for solar panels? We have more sun than any other State and yet we don't use this free resource to our advantage. If the government provided its own energy (or even a major portion of it) we would not need to build more power plants for a long time. Golly, we could have done this 30 years ago when the technology was new.

Could it be there is some sort of hold that APS and SRP have over our officials that make it hard for them to push through an initiative that would save tax payers money, drive a new industry and be kind to our planet?

I have a grid tied solar system I put in myself before incentives and net-metering in 2001. Now we have great incentives AND net-metering but many people still don't know about it.

We also have some great Solar Installation companies can can give free quotes and then deliever and install systems that will work for 25-50 years. Grid tied means no batteries or worry about how much you make and when. It's the greatest gift you can give the environment and your investments.

This is why I offer a free (the college charges a small fee) Solar Energy Class at Mesa and Chandler-Gilbert Community College.

Air Cooled condensing units located on rooftops and sunny areas use 50% more kW than water cooled units. Since kW use requires construction of power plants, why is not Arizona funding ways to make air cooled condensing units more efficient besides allowing the SEER rating to define the efficiency of the air conditioner at 76 degree F?

Why does APS continue to increase the rate of our electric bills more than twice during the last twelve months? The Parlo Verde nuclear plant is under-perforning and one of the reactor is always off-line.

I have recently come across solar power rental programs such as Citizenrē that allow homeowners to place solar units to offset energy costs. The Citizenrē program promises to keep current electricity cost the same for a specified contract length. Could the power companies adopt this kind of business model for homeowners wanting solar panels to be installed on their property? If this type of model were adopted what would be the impact on energy demands if even 40% of homes in Arizona's metropolitan areas adopted this kind of system?

For more information on Citizenrē see http://www.citizenre.com/

Thank you for your time

I see what California is doing with their statewide solar initiatives, and it embarrasses me to be an Arizonan.

We get much stronger and more numerous days of sunshine, but our great state is offering a paltry $1000 (capped!) to residents who want to put photovoltaic solar panels or other sources of renewable energy on their property, and there is weak to no pressure from our state and local government on monopolized local utility companies to build renewable energy sources.

Nor is there pressure on utilities like APS who are allowed to force electricity at wholesale rate from those residents who actually invest in PV (at $0.04/kWh) and immediately turn it around and sell it for $0.11-$0.15/kWh to the neighbors. This is what they call their "EPR-2" rateplan. I want a business like that, where I can immediately at the speed of light sell for a 300% profit.

Their "EPR-5" netmetering plan is more concerning, where APS is somehow allowed to wipe out any “banked" kilowatt hours every December they have accepted & re-sold from their customers who own PV panels who produce more than they use. This is stealing hundreds of dollars of electricity per account, plain and simple. In total, how much electricity does APS rob from all their customers who have PV each December on the EPR-5 plan?

Shouldn’t we be rewarding those who cut back on consumption, and not allow APS to steal from them?

How are the APS rateplans (and comparatively trivial Arizona PV rebate) encouraging consumer adoption of renewable energy?

I've never heard anyone address the role of HOA's in solar energy responsibility. I have tried to use solar panels in two homes here in the Valley, and was blocked both times by my HOA's, which do not allow them.

Why do we need to conserve at all? I'm not conserving anything just so that we can continue the packem-in mentally that Arizona's leaders are all giddy about.

How important is it for Corp Commission members and legislators to understand the technical and scientific aspects of the Laws of Thermodynamics before they draft new laws or rule on energy policies?

Isn't it true that Abengoa will pay all the upfront costs of the Solana powerplant? Aps will simply purchase the power from Solana.