The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has released a “Western Solar Plan” outlining a large expansion in solar energy development in 11 Western states.

The plan opens 31 million acres of public land to solar energy. It’s an update to the six-state Western Solar Plan released in 2012. Specific projects would still need to be authorized, but the plan is meant to steer solar developers away from areas that are environmentally or culturally sensitive. It identifies sites that are within 15 miles of an existing or proposed transmission line.

The Hopi tribe will receive $20 million from the federal government as part of a grant that will help deliver reliable electricity to as many as 900 homes that now lack power.

The tribe is one of 34 recipients of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants and one of two in Arizona. The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community will receive nearly $10 million for its “Go Green Initiative,” which will fund clean energy initiatives.

One of the most critical safety concerns for electric vehicles is keeping their batteries cool.

With high temperatures like we see here in Arizona, it can lead to dangerous consequences.

However, new research at the University of Arizona proposes a way to prevent these issues.

“Recently in the last couple of years, we’ve seen a tremendous increase of fires in electric vehicles that are associated with battery overheating,” said Professor Vitaliy Yurkiv.

U of A researchers are developing a framework that uses A.I. and machine learning models to sense, predict and identify lithium-ion battery overheating, known as thermal runaway.

With its breathtaking mountains reaching 6,000 feet and low valleys studded with dazzling desert vegetation, Pinal County is an incomparable place of beauty. The sweet smell of creosote in the air after a summer monsoon storm is like no other.

But Pinal County has some of the worst air pollution in Arizona, and contributing to this sobering distinction are the pollution-spewing, methane gas-fired power plants that harm the residents of this community.

Sadly, Pinal County has endured too many of these gas power plant proposals.

Funded by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, EPA announces 34 selected Tribal and territorial applications through the competitive Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program

Today, Sept. 5, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the selected recipients of $300 million in Climate Pollution Reduction Grants for Tribes and U.S. territories as part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda. EPA has selected 34 applications to fund projects proposed by 33 Tribal recipients and the Municipality of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands to implement community-driven solutions to tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate the clean energy transition. EPA made its Tribes and Territories Competition selections following a review of 110 applications that requested a total of more than $1.3 billion in funding.

16 Selected Rural Electric Cooperatives for New ERA Program, Including First Award to Dairyland that will Result in Lower Energy Costs and Good-Paying Jobs for Rural Americans

WESTBY, WI, Sept. 5, 2024 – During a visit to Wisconsin today, President Joe Biden and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack will announce more than $7.3 billion in financing for rural electric cooperatives to build clean energy for rural communities across the country through the Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program. Together, New ERA and other investments in rural clean energy in the President’s Inflation Reduction Act make up the largest investment in rural electrification since President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Rural Electrification Act into law in 1936 as part of the New Deal.

Phase 1 Targets Air Conditioning Replacement for Low-Income Households Facing Extreme Heat

The Arizona Governor’s Office of Resiliency has officially launched the first phase of “Efficiency Arizona,” a statewide program designed to increase energy efficiency, promote clean energy, and reduce utility costs for residents. This initiative is part of Governor Katie Hobbs’ commitment to addressing high energy bills and extreme heat, particularly for working-class Arizonans.

Phase 1 of the program focuses on replacing air conditioning units with energy-efficient heat pumps for residents who meet specific income eligibility requirements (below 80% AMI and 80-150% AMI). This initial phase is a collaboration with Wildfire and regional community action agencies to ensure those most vulnerable to Arizona’s extreme temperatures receive the necessary support.

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration announced $521 million in Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Grant Program awards to continue the build out of electric vehicle (EV) charging and alternative-fueling infrastructure in communities across the country, along designated highways, interstates, and major roadways. The CFI grants, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will fund EV charging and alternative-fueling infrastructure in 29 states, eight Federally Recognized Tribes, and the District of Columbia. That includes the construction of more than 9,200 EV charging ports, with the majority of the investment, $321 million, designated for 41 projects that expand all types of EV infrastructure in communities, including Level 2 and DC fast chargers.

A recently launched campaign in Arizona, the Nos Ayuda a Vivir (it helps us live) campaign, is looking to educate Latinos on how they can benefit from the Clean Energy Plan — but it’s part of a larger project aimed at bringing environmental justice to the Latino community. Launched by Poder Latinx, a national non-profit organization that advocates for more Latinos in civic engagement, this $1.7 million campaign wants to bridge the gap between policy and the Latino community to ensure they aren’t left behind as the country moves to cleaner and renewable energy.