Solar Energy

“I’d put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don’t have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that.” –Thomas Edison, 1931

Why Solar is Serious Energy:

Solar offers a tremendous opportunity for Arizona, and all of America, to address some of the largest challenges we face:

• Economy & Jobs.  Solar power is an emerging industry with huge global potential.  The worldwide market for power is over $6 trillion a year and growing fast, and everyone is looking for new, clean sources of electricity.  Solar means good jobs and a competitive America.

• National Security.  With solar power, the fuel is 100% domestic and free.  There are no long supply chains to defend or rogue states to threaten our energy supplies.  What’s more, we don’t have to send our hard-earned dollars overseas.

• Environment.  Solar power is good for the environment.  It generates electricity without emitting greenhouse gases and most solar technologies use little or no water.  At the end of its life, the components of solar technologies can be recycled.

• Good for Arizona.  Best of all, solar power is a natural fit with our home state.  Arizona has some of the best solar conditions in the world, more than enough sun to generate every drop of electricity Arizona needs.  In addition, we have wide open spaces, great research universities, and a strong workforce.  Solar is one of the greatest opportunities Arizona has ever seen.

Solar technologies work well today and they are getting better every year.  Costs are falling and efficiency is rising.  Today’s solar technologies can generate power on a large scale and they have tremendous advantages over traditional power sources.

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Additional Resources

 Report: Solar Energy in Southern Arizona

Read the September 2007 report from my Solar Advisory Council.

 

 Solar Field Hearing

Information from my congressional field hearing on March 17, 2008 in Tucson about utility-scale solar power.

 

Fact Sheets

SOLAR POWER ON YOUR HOME: GETTING STARTED

SOLAR DEFINITIONS AND DIAGRAMS

SOLAR ENERGY WEBSITES AND COST ESTIMATES

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION