Here’s how Arizona is supporting the clean energy movement
Here’s how Arizona is supporting the clean energy movement
Especially in recent years, there has been a major emphasis on creating clean energy that’s renewable, accessible long term, and produced with limited negative side effects on the surrounding environment. And here in Arizona, a number of different initiatives were started to help make this not only easily doable for the greater population, but even profitable in some cases.
Here are some of the ways that Arizona has helped to support efforts to make the leap from fossil fuels to clean, sustainable energy.
Arizona tax break on solar
Solar can be amazing for a few reasons. For one, your bill can be substantially lowered by installing solar panels to create the energy you need to power your house. Second, as utility companies continue to raise prices (an inevitable in the years to come), producing your own energy can ensure that you’re not subjected to those eventual hikes. But most notably, utilizing solar is a huge break for the environment, using something that is inherently free (AKA sunlight) and turning it into the energy source we need to cool our homes, power our lights, etc.
As such, Arizona has offered a pretty great tax break on solar to help to support those who have decided to take the leap. The tax credit will rebate you around 25% of your total system cost, maxing out at around $1000. Couple that with Federal tax deductions, and you’ve got a pretty great incentive to go sustainable.
Utility companies have a clean energy plan
Between 2019 and 2021, the major utility players in Arizona all committed to making a switch from fossil fuels to creating energy using clean resources. This is a big deal, for a number of reasons. For one thing, according to the Arizona Corporate Commision (AZCC), there’s been a recent change in how clean energy is now perceived.
“Until recently, clean energy technologies were too cost-prohibitive and unreliable to add in large amounts to the grid,” the AZCC stated in a press release. “However, the announcements from Arizona’s largest electric utilities reflect a dramatic change in the philosophical and economic views toward the adoption of clean energy technologies and the potential reliability and affordability benefits they can provide.”
This shift could mean a much faster and affordable switch to clean energy for Arizona residents.
Increased charging stations for electric cars
If you think about it, electronic charging stations can easily be found in most major malls, shopping centers, and parking garages in more populated areas. This investment has made it much easier to make the switch from gasoline to electric cars. And while they can still be rather pricey, knowing that you can easily charge them while you’re shopping or running errands can make it that much easier for someone who’s on the fence to finally make the switch.
Websites like ChargeHub.com even list out all of the charging stations you can find throughout the Valley (and Arizona as a whole).
Increased use of solar panels
If you’ve paid attention during your daily drive lately, you may have noticed that more and more solar panels are popping up. On the roofs of parking lot shade structures, on major buildings, and likewise, on more houses. This has been one of the key ways that Arizona, as a whole, has begun to support the clean energy movement. What’s cool is that, by installing solar panels, creating clean energy becomes an action vs. simply talking about how clean energy will be created. Setting a great example for everyone else, and beginning to put plans into action.
The focus on creating clean energy is one that will not only benefit Arizona as a whole in the long run, it will also be a game changer for each individual citizen. By helping the planet and tapping into resources that are incredibly sustainable for thousands of years to come, we’ll be able to ensure that Arizona is a beautiful place for us, as well as for our future children and grandchildren to grow up in.
