It ain’t over yet, but it seems that solar energy advocates in Arizona have managed to stall legislation that would have stalled clean energy investment in the state. Representative Debbie Lesko (R-9), the primary sponsor of the HB (House Bill) 2701, withdrew her support after hearing from individuals, groups and businesses including green jobs advocate Az4Solar, solar manufacturer SunTech, and solar installer SolarCity.
As reported by Eric Wesoff of greentechmedia.com, HB 2701 will count nuclear energy as a renewable source. That would fulfill Arizona’s renewable energy pledge because the state already gets about 25% of its power from nukes. In turn, that would put the kibosh on incentives for new solar installation and other forms of genuinely renewable energy in Arizona – which in turn would throw cold water on the growth of green jobs in Arizona. And that would be quite a letdown for a state that’s poised to lead the U.S. out of the fossil fuel dark ages and into a sustainable clean energy future. (more…)