"By installing solar panels on arguably the most famous house in the country, his residence, the President is underscoring [the] commitment to lead and the promise and importance of renewable energy in the United States." --Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality
In this issue:
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Reminder: VOTE! Don't forget about the Arizona Corporation Commission With the election less than a month away, we need your help to ensure that we elect people who care about our environment and our energy. A key race this election season is for the Arizona Corporation Commission, which oversees public service utilities and makes important decisions regarding energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Your voice is needed! We need people who will help move us toward a cleaner energy future! The General Election is on November 2. You can also vote early by a mail-in ballot, if you requested one. Please don't forget about this very important race! Questions? For more information, contact Sandy Bahr at (602) 253-8633 or sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org. |
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Arizona Corporation Commission Public Comment Hearing on Gas Energy Efficiency Standard The Arizona Corporation will be taking public comment on Gas Energy Efficiency Rules -- Rulemaking Oral Proceeding (Docket # RG-00000B-09-0428). Please stop by and support the rule, if you can. If you can't, send your comments to sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org and she will file them for you. The hearing is at the Arizona Corporation Commission 1200 W. Washington Street, Hearing Room #1, Phoenix (map) Thursday, October 28, 2010 at 10 a.m. The proposed standard will achieve 6 percent energy savings by 2020. This is a reasonable standard for Arizona, considering the limited natural gas heating we have. Increasing energy efficiency as proposed in this Gas Energy Efficiency Rule will provide several benefits to gas utility ratepayers, including both residential and business customers who will benefit from lower gas bills with a reasonable investment. The environmental benefits from the rule include cleaner air as a result of reductions in oxides of nitrogen and in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane. Methane is emitted when natural gas does not burn completely and is a powerful greenhouse gas. For more information, contact Sandy Bahr at sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org. |
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Made in the Shade - Arizona Public Service Pilot Program for Shade Trees Arizona Public Service (APS) is seeking approval to implement a Residential Shade Tree Pilot Program as part of its energy efficiency program. The proposed program is cost-effective, will result in energy savings for residential consumers, and will provide additional environmental benefits in the Phoenix area. It is similar to a program in Tucson, partially sponsored by Tucson Electric Power. The proposed APS Shade Tree Pilot Program focuses on planting 5,000 trees in 2011. This will result in energy savings for residential consumers who participate in the program, help reduce carbon and other emissions, and provide aesthetic and wildlife habitat benefits, especially for birds. For all of these reasons and more, we are urging the Arizona Corporation Commission to support and approve this program. The Phoenix area would benefit significantly from a shade tree program. Currently, the Phoenix area has only about 13 percent plant cover, which is well below the 25 percent recommended by American Forests for a community in our region of the Southwest. |
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Cool Codes Town Hall a Success! On Tuesday, September 28, we hosted a Cool Codes Town Hall, which over 40 people participated in. Thank you to everyone who came! This event allowed people to learn more about energy efficiency, green buildings, and building codes. After hearing from three knowledgeable speakers on these various topics, participants were encouraged to take action and encourage their mayors to get on board. Special thanks to our three amazing speakers: Ellen Zuckerman with the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, Robert Sty with SmithGroup, Inc., and Cynthia Zwick with the Arizona Community Action Association. We are working on getting a video of the presentations on our website. Check in soon. Would you like to find out more about green buildings and energy efficiency? Join our Energy Team (see below) or contact Sandy Bahr at (602) 253-8633 or sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org. |
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Get Involved with our Energy Team! Are you interested in learning more about energy issues in Arizona? Would you like to take positive actions to make a difference in our communities? Check out our next Energy Committee meeting! Tuesday, October 26 Join us to learn more about energy projects in our state and ways to get involved. |