Illustration of the planned Sierra Luna Energy Storage Project
It’s a straightforward equation: more businesses + more people = higher energy demand.
This is what Arizona faces in communities both large and small across the state. And about the only thing to change in the calculation will be a multiplier that increases as the years pass and the commercial and resident populations grow.
The Arizona Technology Council has embraced the effort to let policymakers know that a solution is ready with solar and battery energy storage systems. This combination of power generation and batteries adds to the arsenal of methods to keep the lights on, the air conditioning humming and whatever else needs a steady supply of power.
“Nearly every elected official in Arizona, regardless of party affiliation, has stated that an ‘all of the above’ approach to energy is necessary,” says Cepand Alizadeh, the Council’s government relations specialist. Alizadeh’s role includes helping policymakers look beyond traditional methods when determining pathways toward solutions for meeting energy needs in their counties, cities and towns.
Why focus on renewable energy technologies? Alizadeh cites several reasons. “First, because renewable energy is the quickest to come online and is often the lowest-cost source of new electricity generation,” he says. “Second, these projects can generate millions of dollars in tax revenue for the localities they are built in. Additionally, the construction of solar plants and battery storage systems creates hundreds, if not thousands, of high-quality and well-paying jobs for Arizonans.”
In addition to constantly submitting written statements and suggestions regarding projects being considered, Alizadeh crisscrosses the state offering in-person testimonies to decision-making bodies of all types “from the Arizona Corporation Commission to planning and zoning boards, and city councils of all sizes. I have traveled as far north as Apache County and Yavapai County and as far south as Pima County.”
The efforts have produced results. “A significant number of proposed solar energy and battery energy storage systems that we have supported both in writing and in-person in Maricopa, Pinal and Apache counties have been approved with enthusiasm and not apprehension,” he says. “Numerous city council members and county supervisors have approached me after their votes and told me that my public comments and our association’s support of a clean energy project convinced them to support a project as well.”
Recent examples of systems moving forward are the Sierra Luna Energy Storage Project planned near Avondale and the Ranger Center Energy Storage Project set for the Surprise area. Both were approved last year by Maricopa County Planning and Zoning Commission then the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
But the benefits of getting the green light go much deeper. “Every renewable energy project that gets built in our great state is significant because it translates into life-changing jobs and meaningful tax revenue for the communities in which they serve and are built,” Alizadeh says. “When addressing a planning and zoning board a few months ago, I said, ‘There is no such thing as a minor solar array, plant or wind farm. Every single one has a profound impact.’”
He has firsthand knowledge of how such projects can pay dividends that go beyond systems taking shape on land parcels. High school friends who joined the military after graduation returned to civilian life looking for jobs where they could use their new skills. Their solutions came in the energy field. “Working as solar technicians, installers and maintenance laborers enabled them to do just that and provide comfortably for their families,” Alizadeh says.
Expect more impacts to be made as the “all of the above” approach to Arizona’s rapidly expanding energy requirements continue. “Our leaders need to keep thinking about the needs of residents and companies 10 years from now, not just 10 months from now,” Alizadeh says. “They need to take the long view. With the Council’s continued guidance and advocacy, they will do exactly that.”
