PHOENIX, Sept. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — With an impending vote on the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, local renewable energy developers and labor leaders hosted a roundtable discussion with the office of U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema regarding renewable energy expansion in Arizona. The conversation highlighted clean energy’s potential to bring economic development and job creation through the passage of the infrastructure package and budget reconciliation bill.
Watch a recording of the event here.
“From boosting supply chains to expanding carbon-capture, hydrogen, and solar energy on mine lands, our bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act makes historic investments in growing clean, renewable energy—which represents a critical step to boosting Arizona jobs and expanding economic opportunity across our state,” said U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema.
The clean power industry is a job-creator and economic driver in Arizona. Renewable energy companies employ close to 10,000 Arizona workers and have invested $9 billion in projects statewide. The infrastructure package proposes $65 billion in power infrastructure upgrades, which would enable private sector investment in clean power projects and create jobs. The budget reconciliation bill would help level the playing field for renewable businesses with a clean energy tax platform. Both pieces of legislation would accelerate the growth of a clean energy workforce and provide communities with economic and environmental benefits.
“Arizona has great opportunity to benefit from its natural resources while attracting businesses and creating jobs through solar energy,” Raymond Long, Senior Vice President of External Affairs at Clearway Energy said.
Renewable energy development also helps improve the lives of those in the surrounding communities. Arizona communities saw $26.7 million from property, state, and local tax payments in 2020. The state’s farmers and landowners received $17.1 million in land lease payments from clean power projects last year.
“Renewable energy projects bring hundreds of good construction jobs, allowing Arizonans to work locally,” Mark Cardenas, Legislative Affairs Specialist for the Arizona Building and Construction Trades Council said.
Arizona has the second-best solar resource in the nation and untapped potential for development. Solar developers across the state have experienced a boost in business with growing demand for affordable clean power.
“Unlocking Arizona’s full clean energy potential will mean high-quality jobs and better benefits for Arizonans. With the right policies in place, the renewable industry can put millions of Americans back to work achieving the greenhouse gas emissions reductions necessary to avoid the impacts of climate change,” said American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) President and CEO Gregory Wetstone.
About ACORE
For more than 20 years, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) has been the nation’s premier pan-renewable nonprofit organization. ACORE unites finance, policy and technology to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy economy.
For more information, please visit www.acore.org.
SOURCE American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)
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