Saturday, November 19, 2011

Arizona energy planning coming of age


Energy policy and planning is getting a lot more attention in Arizona. The 99th Arizona Town Hall was held at Grand Canyon two weeks ago and the recommendations from that 3-day workshop are now available. Among its introductory statments is the conclusion that "The state’s energy policy should seek to minimize the harmful side effects of power generation and delivery, while promoting the responsible use of Arizona’s natural resources." [Right, 'Cholla' working group at 99th Town Hall. That's me in the back center under the bright wall light. Credit, AZ Town Hall]

Meanwhile, the Arizona Energy Consortium is getting organized. The committee structure and chairs were released at a meeting in Phoenix on Friday. Committees will cover Membership & Events, Public Outreach,Project Development, Energy Infrastructure, Energy Efficiency, Workforce, Technology Innovation, and Energy Roadmap. The focus is principally on solar energy.

The AEC is formed under the auspices of the Arizona Technology Council, and has drawn participation from about 200 members from industry, government, and academia across Arizona.

1 comment:

  1. Sorry if this is a wacky question, but are there any places in AZ that would be suitable for geothermal energy production? If so, where are the hot spots? I visited Karrtchner Caverns last year, and was intrigued by the warm temperature in the caverns.

    ReplyDelete