This week, The Western Way partnered with Greater Phoenix Leadership and the CNA Military Advisory Board to host a panel discussion with industry leaders from around the state on the future of energy in Arizona.
Anchoring the discussion was a presentation by Vice Admiral Lee Gunn, USN (Ret.), a member of the Military Advisory Board’s small and elite group of retired three- and four-star officers from all branches of the U.S. military, focusing on the national security imperative of adopting clean and advanced energy technologies.
The panel discussion was moderated by Pat Graham, Arizona Director of The Nature Conservancy, and in addition to Vice Admiral Gunn, USN (Ret.) featured John Coggins, Associate General Manager and Chief Power System Executive at Salt River Project, one of Arizona’s largest utilities; Glenn Hamer, President and C.E.O. of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Representative Steve Pierce, a long-standing member of Arizona’s state legislature.
An impressive cross-section of Arizona business leaders and stakeholders attended the event, including representatives from Arizona’s utilities, public university system, and some of the state’s largest businesses.
The robust discussion covered topics ranging from how to increase deployment and adoption of renewable energy technologies across the state, including in rural areas, to opportunities for private sector innovation, participation and partnership in advance energy adoption, and how to motivate lawmakers to support the new energy infrastructure that makes the grid more reliable.
The panel discussion was part of a two-day visit by Vice Admiral Gunn, USN (Ret.) to Arizona, in which The Western Way coordinated presentations and discussions with the Arizona Corporation Commission, current and former state government officials, and business leaders that emphasized the need to ensure grid security and how Arizona can take advantage of its domestic energy resources.
