Many American small businesses are in limbo, waiting to see how they’ll be impacted by the escalating trade war and a freeze on federal grants. Dozens of Arizona business owners say they were counting on federal grants to help them expand and improve.

One of them is Rachel Opio, an urban farmer in Phoenix who owns the Little Lighthouse Farm in her backyard. “I’m truly here to steward the land and regenerate the soil while feeding the community real food: nutrient-dense produce,” she said.

Riding a boom that stretched across the country, Arizona set a record in 2024 for new solar capacity installed in the state.

The Grand Canyon State added 1,793 megawatts of solar capacity within its borders in 2024, its highest amount yet and the sixth-most of all states, according to the U.S. Solar Market Insight 2024 Year in Review report released today by the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie.

CozyHome had customers lined up to upgrade their AC systems with state grants. Donald Trump’s freeze ended that program.

As a veteran who has proudly served this nation, I cannot stand by while the Trump administration once again puts corporate polluters ahead of American workers, veterans, and our national security. His reckless federal funding freeze and executive orders targeting clean energy programs, including critical investments from the Inflation Reduction Act, is an attack on the very industries that provide stable, good-paying jobs for Arizona veterans and hardworking Americans.

Federal tax credits lower costs and create middle-class jobs across the state. It would be a mistake for Republicans to repeal them.

Clean energy is creating jobs and cost savings for Arizonans and Americans across the country. As the business manager of IBEW Local 570, I know firsthand how important clean energy is to making our economy work for all Americans. If we want to build back American manufacturing and keep our competitive edge over China, we need to invest in the energy of the future. That’s clean energy.

Groundswell Capital provides low-interest loans for solar and HVAC systems, sewer, rain harvesting and more

Lower-income communities are less likely to adopt rooftop solar systems, according to a Department of Energy study.

As the demand for sustainable energy rises, a new program called Earthwise is paving the way for homeowners in Arizona to access eco-friendly home improvements like rooftop solar without the traditional financial burdens.

Salt River Project is providing financial support to two Tempe programs designed to conserve water.

The utility recently announced a $10,000 annual contribution – $50,000 over five years –  to support the city’s non-residential landscape conversion program and a similar contribution for Tempe’s cooling tower rebate program for non-residential customers.

The landscape program offers an incentive for Tempe’s commercial water customers to convert to desert-friendly landscaping, according to an SRP release.

Our lives and economies run on energy—including energy sources powered by water.

The southwestern United States is experiencing a significant increase in demand for both energy and water, driven by population growth and economic development. The demands are particularly evident in Arizona, where water availability is a critical issue with dry years outpacing wet years, ongoing drought and a long-term trend toward aridification.

Phoenix has released its first official Climate Action Plan Progress Report, outlining evidence of tangible headway on several deadly and costly climate challenges affecting the city, while lagging in results on others.

The city shared the report exclusively with The Arizona Republic ahead of its publication on Wednesday. The 60-page document takes stock of what the city has accomplished toward goals outlined in its 2021 plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, bolster heat resilience and local food systems and expand clean energy, public transit, waste recycling and water conservation infrastructure in the nation’s hottest and fifth-largest metropolis.