Green Options

Albiasa Solar of Spain and the Arizona Department of Commerce are set to announce the building of a $1 billion solar-thermal power plant near Kingman, Arizona, next year, which will provide power for up to 50,000 homes when fully operational in 2013.

“The arrival of Albiasa Corp. is yet another big step toward establishing Arizona as a leader in the sustainable-industries sector.” - Arizona Governor Jan Brewer

An Arizona man who was caught by police in August 2008 after tying his horse to the back of his truck will face charges for animal cruelty in federal court this Tuesday.

Gorden Allen Bates tied a horse to the back of his truck and then proceeded to stop the vehicle and beat the animal with a PVC pipe while his 13-year-old daughter kicked it in the face. Luckily, a state trooper happened onto the scene.

Nissan have announced plans to roll out a ‘fast charge’ electric car network in Arizona, capable of topping up batteries in as little as 10-15 minutes.

The Japanese company has teamed up with EV charge-tech firm ECOtality and the Pima association of government’s, (representing the Tucson, Arizona region), to establish a pilot-scale network in readiness for the launch of Nissan electric cars in the US next year.

Officials from the Arizona Game and Fish Department captured a wild, live jaguar in an area southwest of Tucson.

When you think of Gatorade and green, you probably think of that neonish color in the beverage. Maybe something along the lines of what Steelers coach Mike Tomlin got doused with last night. But the sports drink maker is also using solar power at a factory in Arizona to reduce reliance on the electric grid and control costs.

The Arizona Republic reports that Gatorade installed a 500-kilowatt solar system occupying more than an acre and a half on the roof of the distribution center attached to its manufacturing complex in Tolleson. That makes it Arizona’s largest customer-owned solar project. The panels allow Gatorade to save 40 percent on its electric costs for the distribution center.

Bonded Logic in Chandler Arizona has found a way to turn old blue jeans into environmentally safe insulation. This eco-friendly insulation resists microbial growth, contains no formaldehyde, is an LEED eligle product, is Class A fire rated, and is made from recycled blue jeans and denim scraps. Best of all…no itch or skin irritation. 

The bad news is Bonded Logic’s Ultra Touch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation is not readily available everywhere yet (Hello, Home Depot? Can you start carrying this product?). The good news is Michigan does have a distributor, Cotton Insulation, Inc, a woman owned and operated business in Comstock Park, MI. Even better news-you can purchase the cotton insulation directly from them.

The visitor’s center on the south rim of the Grand Canyon will soon be powered with the aid of solar power. Arizona Public Service is paying for the 18 kilowatt PV solar system through voluntary payments from its customers. Construction of the system is scheduled to begin this month, with completion sometime in March.

One in 12 American’s water supply comes from the Colorado River. Increased mining and drilling for oil, natural gas, and uranium on its shores is threatening that supply.

[Creative Commons photo by Wolfgang Staudt]

The areas along the river are already suffering from drought, and getting at the resources there uses and pollutes the precious remaining water. Research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography estimates that the river could dry up in as little as 13 years.

Phoenix christened the first 20-mile stretch of its new light rail system on Saturday, the culmination of decades of planning, four years of construction, and $1.4 billion in investment. The opening attracted 150,000 riders in its first two days of operation.

Phoenix is the nation’s fifth most populous metropolis and the biggest U.S. city without a public rail transit system (the city shut down it’s original trolley system 60 years ago). The sprawling metropolitan area has been characterized as “car crazy” and critics suggest ridership will be limited by the areas urban sprawl and grueling summer heat.

Maybe it’s just me. But it seems like you can’t crack open a clean tech blog these days without uncovering a post on The World’s Most Super Duperest Solar Project Ever. In the last month alone we’ve seen everyone from China to Los Angeles rolling out big budget solar plans.

The University of Phoenix, in partnership with local Phoenix, Arizona energy provider Salt River Project (SRP), announced yesterday that they will make the largest purchase of renewable energy tax certificates in Arizona history.

The University will buy 46.5 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy credits, equivalent to all of its Phoenix campus’ annual consumption and 27% of its more than 200 campuses across the county. It is also enough power to keep the lights, computers, and TVs going in 3,800 American homes for a year or removing the carbon emissions of 5,280 cars.

University of Phoenix is purchasing the credits from the Hopkins Ridge Wind Facility in Washington state through SRP’s EarthWise program.

As a result of the purchase, the University of Phoenix is ranked 7th on the Environmental Protection Agency’s “Top 20 College & University Partner List“.