I’m talking about Arizona’s adoption, Tuesday, of a toughest-in-the-nation rule on energy efficiency.

Hot hot hot

The new rules require state-regulated utilities to cut the amount of electricity they sell 22 percent by the year 2020, through a variety of measures that help customers increase energy efficiency. These include rebates for insulating homes, planting shade trees, and buying more efficient air conditioners.

“This is huge,” says Jeff Schlegel, of the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project. “It puts Arizona in a leadership position in energy efficiency across the country.”

The rules, which still need to be approved by the state attorney general’s office, will save Arizona residents $9 billion in reduced utility bills over ten years, according to a study commissioned by SWEEP.

The Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities, voted 5-0 in favor of the measure last night.

ACC chairwoman Republican Kris Mayes, who as been called “a rock star” of the solar power movement for her past work making Arizona a leader in renewable energy production, told a local reporter she considers the energy efficiency measure “the most important thing I will ever do in my life.”

Fellow commissioner Democrat Paul Newman, in an email this morning, also stressed the importance of the new rule.

“EE [energy efficiency] is absolutely the cheapest way to reduce power costs, and carbon and toxic emission,” he wrote. “It’s an ambitious goal to be sure, but one that’s achievable and will force Arizona to pull out all the stops to reduce power use.”

Those comments were echoed by what might seem to be an unlikely source: APS, Arizona’s largest utility.

“APS is supportive of the new Energy Efficiency Standard,” said Jim Wontor, manager of the utility’s energy efficiency programs, in an email. “It is aggressive and challenging, but achievable.”

In addition to saving money for costumers, the new rule ultimately benefits the utility, wrote Wontor, by “reducing the cost to APS of meeting the increasing demand for electricity in the future.”

Not all utilities agree. Tucson Electric Power, for example, has objected to the measure it called unreasonable and costly.

SWEEP’s Jeff Schlegel, dismisses those claims. He points, instead, to additional benefits of the new rules:

“This will create 12,000 jobs, mostly in construction. It benefits consumers with lower electric bills, and it’s good for the environment.”

If the program is successful, Schlegel thinks the Arizona standard will spread to other states, and beyond.

“We hope,” he said, “that Arizona’s lead will have an impact on federal policy.”

Keep those solar roofs coming

And now a word to solar advocates in Arizona from our friends at the Vote Solar Initiative:

It’s officially scheduled: early this afternoon your legislators will vote on whether to extend one of Arizona’s most important solar policies. Can you take just a few minutes of your lunch hour to help send solar bill HB 2700 across the finish line?

Send them a quick email by clicking here.

Or if your boss isn’t looking (or likes solar too), a telephone call works even better. Just tell them you support HB 2700 and hope they’ll do the same. You can find your Senator’s contact information here.

A quick reminder of what’s at stake: As a part of the effort to build a renewable energy economy in Arizona, the state has seen fit to provide some tax incentives for solar. Unfortunately, these benefits are due to sunset. HB 2700 would extend key solar tax incentives — specifically, sales tax exemptions (TPT), commercial and industrial tax credits, and exemption from increased property tax valuation.

The bill already passed House, so this afternoon’s Senate vote is the only thing standing between Arizonans and continued strong solar energy growth. As you may know, senators have not been very friendly to tax bills this year, so please do what you can to help send HB 2700 across the finish line.

Speak now or forever hold your peace.

For more information about this and other state solar initiatives, visit The Vote Solar Initiative website.

"Marta"

Sorry I haven’t been covering solar power much recently. Here’s why: Arizona SB1070.

If you haven’t heard about it (???), the bill is the most draconian anti-immigrant legislation to be signed into law. There are large demonstrations taking place at the Arizona State Capitol grounds and I’ve been covering them, and the bill itself, in Brief Back, the blog I write for True/Slant.

I’m also busy with a series of investigative pieces on energy and the environment for OnEarth magazine. And the occasional book review (like this one for Grist) on the extraordinary new book, Merchants of Doubt, by Naomi Oreskes and Erick M. Conway.

There’s a lot of news to report on the solar front, too, and I’ll be covering it soon. Thanks for your patience.

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter has made it official: By 2020, utilities in that state must generate 30% of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar power. As reported here recently, the Colorado legislature passed HB 1001 to upgrade its Renewable Energy Standard (RES) on March 8th, with strong public support.

Only California has a more aggressive RES: 33% by 2020.

Colorado’s new rules also support distributed power, with a requirement that 3% of electricity comes from home and business solar arrays.

Colorado Raises International Energy Profile

Also on Monday, Leocadia Zak, director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, announced that Colorado would be hosting two renewable energy trade mission with representatives from Latin America.

The “Clean Energy Exchange Program for the Americas-Wind” takes place May 22-29, with meetings held in Golden, CO; Dallas, TX; and Washington, DC.

The “Clean Energy Exchange Program for the Americas-Solar” event will be held October 9-16, with stops in Golden, Los Angeles and DC.

According to Zak, the trade missions are part of the National Export Initiative created by President Obama on March 11. The NEI goal is to double US exports in the next five years.

“As part of the International Business Partnership Program,” explained Zak in Denver on Monday, “the purpose of these reverse trade missions is to bring buyers to the United States.”

Saguaro Solar Thermal Plant

While the Arizona state legislature attempted to end the state’s RES program recently, there is mounting pressure on the Arizona Corporation Commission to at least match Colorado’s standard or risk falling farther behind in the expanding green jobs/green energy movement.

Arizona has been sending mixed signals about its desire to play a leadership role in moving to a renewable energy economy.

Governor Jan Brewer, who assumed office when President Obama named then-Governor Janet Napolitano to head up the Department of Homeland Security, in 2009 signed into law a bill providing tax credits for manufacturers of renewable energy equipment relocating to the state.

Cut and Run

Last month, Brewer prohibited Arizona from participating in a seven-state regional climate program. Sandy Bahr, head of the Sierra Club’s state chapter, called the move “embarrassing for the state of Arizona….It demonstrates a real lack of understanding of how significant of a threat climate change is to the state. We ought to be standing at the front of the line to look at solutions.”

Benjamin Grumbles

Brewer’s top environmental official defended the action. “Arizona needs a green-and-grow approach rather than a cap-and-trade approach,” said Benjamin Grumbles, director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality.

Grumbles was a top official at the federal Environmental Protection Agency under President George W. Bush, an administration known for its opposition to environmental regulations.

Fast on the heals of the Arizona legislature’s attempt to pull support from in-state solar power generation, Colorado’s legislature passed a bill yesterday to boost dramatically the amount of electricity produced by renewable sources in their state.

The Arizona bill would have ended a state program requiring utilities to generate 15% of electrical power from renewable sources (such as solar and wind) by the year 2025. (The program is called the Renewable Energy Standard, or RES.) The bill was withdrawn, at least temporarily, following an outcry by the public, businesses and even the state’s largest utility.

Colorado Sees Daylight

Meanwhile, back at the Colorado legislature, House Bill 10-1001 was winding its way through committee hearings. On Monday, both houses of the Colorado legislature had passed the bill creating a RES of 30% of electrical power by 2020. (Or, twice as much renewable power as Arizona, five years sooner.)

In the highly competitive field of green jobs and technology, last month Arizona clearly fumbled the ball. The real damage is becoming apparent this month, as Colorado recovered the fumble and now heads down the field.