Arizona is emerging as a national leader in technology and innovation, including developing and adopting clean and renewable energy solutions for our advanced economy. The Western Way and Arizona Technology Council recently partnered to convene a stakeholder process bringing together business leaders from across Arizona to generate ideas and recommendations for best incorporating the clean energy and innovation sectors into our state’s economic recovery plan. The results of this process can be found in a new report: Innovation and Clean Energy Industry Recommendations for Economic Recover: Policy Options from Arizona’s Business Community.
As we look ahead to the state’s post-COVID economic recovery, we believe the clean energy sector has the potential to play a significant role.
The result of our stakeholder driven process provides policy recommendations and tools to help leverage the strengths of Arizona’s innovation sector to benefit the economic and environmental condition of the entire state.
Specifically, we recommend:
ENCOURAGING support of demand-side adoption of energy efficiency measures and clean and renewable energy technologies, preempting height and setback restrictions and exempting renewable energy storage equipment from transaction privilege taxes;
INVESTING in infrastructure and identifying opportunities for public-private partnerships;
PLANNING for long-term integration of renewable hydrogen into Arizona’s energy portfolio and economy;
SUPPORTING policies that encourage advanced manufacturing, including funding programs that enhance the talent pipeline from Arizona’s community college and state university systems into the clean energy and advanced manufacturing sectors; and
PRIORITIZING clean and renewable energy opportunities by creating a state Clean Energy Innovation Office or Designated Clean Energy Innovation Specialist at the Arizona Commerce Authority.