By Jose Ivan Cazares |Downtown Devil
Arizona voters rejected Proposition 127 in November, striking down a law that would have required electric companies to generate 50 percent of their electricity using renewable sources by 2020 instead of the 12 percent currently mandated. But energy providers are investing in the technology to increase renewable energy sources despite the lack of policy or incentives to do so.
A city council subcommittee approved a 15-year contract on Dec. 5 to purchase a portion of the city’s power from the Salt River Project’s newly built solar farm, reflecting a shift toward solar power nationally.
Per the contract, the city will be purchasing 10 percent of its power from SRP with the option to purchase up to an additional five percent of leftover energy from other customers.
Mark Hartman, Phoenix’s chief sustainability officer, said the move is financially motivated.
“Across the U.S., cities are choosing it because solar and wind are cheaper,” Hartman said.
