The $2 billion Solana concentrated solar plant in the desert near Gila Bend is off to a slow start, producing less electricity than it might in the future. Now in operation for slightly more than one year, Solana has delivered about two-thirds of the annual amount of electricity expected to…
Two Phoenix Fire Department captains accused of lying in an arson probe won’t be charged criminally, but their actions have spurred a reform of investigative procedures. In July, officials with the state Department of Public Safety recommended that Captains Sam Richardson and Fred Andes be charged with lying and perjury…
Joseph Hui, a.k.a. “Solar Man,” the principle of a Scottsdale solar-power firm, is running for the Arizona Corporation Commission to help businesses just like his. His products, which include “solar awnings” installed on homes and tied to the grid, may reduce the amount of electricity an Arizonan gets from nuclear…
Our December article about the exaggerations concerning Arizona’s water supply wasn’t read by everyone, it seems. “Arizona Could Be Out of Water in Six Years,” screams a recent headline from the esteemed Smithsonian Institution’s web site. Yes, that’s total nonsense…
Two recent policy decisions in Arizona regarding solar energy make leased rooftop panels a poor deal in the state, says an energy-news website dedicated to promoting the technology. Greentech Media’s research into the impact of the Arizona Corporation Commission’s November decision to add a new, yearly fee to the bills…
A new website shows how much electricity solar, wind, and other power sources generate in Arizona on an hourly and daily basis. The Southwest Variable Energy Resource Initiative’s website allows the public to achieve a better understanding of how different generation sources mix to bring us the juice we need…
Another fire has broken out around Oak Creek Canyon, north of Sedona, less than two weeks after firefighters were able to contain the 22,000 acre Slide Fire.This new fire reported yesterday afternoon, nicknamed the Junipine Fire, grew only to 12 acres as of yesterday evening…
The 21,000-acre Slide Fire that burned north of Sedona has created risks of falling rocks and ash and other debris being swept into water sources.The Burned Area Emergency Response team has been tasked with mitigating various hazards caused by the fire, and one of the team’s reports includes several photos…
State Attorney General Tom Horne wants Arizonans to be careful of being ripped off by greedy solar-power companies. In an announcement this morning, the state AG accused “some” rooftop-solar companies — which he didn’t name — of unethical behavior. Horne dumped on solar-lease deals in general, saying buyers need to…
OO.ready(function() { OO.Player.create(‘ooyalaplayer’, ‘BvaTdobjoJbW0kK6azB5Phl4Hoh-oHqy’); });Please enable Javascript to watch this videoSlide Fire in Sedona’s Oak Creek Canyon: Time Lapse Video by Andrew Pielage.Freelance photographer and New Times contributor Andrew Pielage traveled to Sedona and the Oak Creek Canyon area earlier this week to capture images and video of the Slide…
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission wants to know by next March how well the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station can withstand the shock of earthquakes. In 2012, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered Palo Verde and all other U.S. nuclear plants to re-evaluate their seismic risk following the Fukushima disaster. (The…
Arizona’s water supply, barring unlikely and extreme weather events, should get us through the next 30 to 50 years. After that, as our December feature article on the subject pointed out, water will be in short supply sometime this century. The reason isn’t global warming or reduced Colorado River flow…
Are you a sky-lantern pilot? The flying bags of flame are illegal in cities like Gilbert and Phoenix — not that city ordinances stopped the lanterns that flew over those cities on Christmas Eve. We were scouting for Christmas lights near Guadalupe and Alma School roads about 7 p.m. Tuesday…
A Peoria man who was convicted in September of starting a 5,220-acre wildfire with a propane tank has been ordered to pay $5,000 in restitution. The U.S. Forest Service had recommended that Bryan Teague pay $487,000 to reimburse the costs of fighting the 2012 fire, making it appear as though…
The massive roll-out of solar panels and structural supports at Arizona State University in the last couple of years is already nearly paying for itself, ASU Magazine reports this month. In the magazine’s December edition, an article on “carbon neutrality” by Texas freelance writer Eric Butterman, (they can’t find a…
What was billed as the nation’s largest solar-powered carport system is finally online at the Phoenix VA Health Care Center in Phoenix after a year-and-a-half delay. As New Times learned in August, news articles and press releases in 2011 announcing the $20 million project’s near-completion had been premature. The panel-covered…
Arizona home solar users will save less money on electric bills in the future following a move by the Corporation Commission that’s also likely to impact rooftop-solar sales. In a 3-2 vote on Thursday, the five-member, all-Republican panel decided to allow Arizona Public Service to impose a fee on their…
This is only a drill. Repeat . . . Forty-eight emergency sirens located within 10 miles of the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating station are expected to sound off today as part of an annual federal requirement. They’ll perform a practice blast at noon and at 12:30 p.m., authorities say. Don’t…
Joseph Hui , an Arizona State University engineering researcher, is more educated than we are about energy issues, as he reminded us in a recent email exchange. But we can’t help but stick to our “uneducated” opinions when it comes to some of his claims. Like his prediction that in…
Back in July, Arizona Public Service denied funding an ad campaign that attacked a coalition of rooftop-solar installers battling the utility for ratepayers’ money. But now the company’s confessing that it is, in fact, funding the campaign. Jim McDonald, APS spokesman, tells us he “had no intention of telling a…
Solana, the giant concentrated-solar plant near Gila Bend, began commercial operations on Monday that will deliver power to Arizona residents for the next 30 years. You’ve certainly seen the rows and rows of mirrors in the last year or so if you’ve driven the Gila Bend route on the way…
Staff members at the Arizona Corporation Commission have recommended against paying rooftop solar customers less for their electricity. In a filing last night, staff members acknowledged the position by Arizona Public Service that adding more rooftop-solar customers to the grid eventually raises electric bills for the non-solar customers. But the…
