noun- Usable power that comes from heat, electricity etc.

            Settlers began management of energy in the desert with a focus on water.  Arizona’s dry desert heat and landlocked location made an intricate series of canals run throughout the territory an immediate necessity.  The oldest canal still in use is the Tempe Canal, which began construction in 1870 and was built by the Tempe Irrigation Canal Company.  Two years after its inception, the aqueduct was servicing over 5,600 acres of land in the Salt River Valley.  Not long after, the Grand Canal was conceived to service nearly 20,000 acres north of the Salt River.  The northernmost point of the Salt River was first modulated by the Arizona Canal Company in 1883.  They dammed the river, and later became part of the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association in 1907.  That association now operates all of the Salt River canals.

When Arizona first became a state in February of 1912, the primary concern with energy in the region was a unified state water system that would provide the blossoming communities in and around Phoenix all the way down to Tucson with a steady supply.  Senator Carl Hayden, Arizona’s first congressman, fought hard to establish the Central Arizona Project from nearly the beginning of his government service until 1968, when it was finally enacted.  It is an aqueduct system that diverts water flow from the Colorado River to central and southern Arizona.  The entire canal system runs a total of 336 miles.  This ambitious project became the biggest aqueduct system built on American soil, and it is also the single most expensive water endeavor the nation has ever seen.

Coal has also been an essential energy staple in Arizona’s history.  Establishing mines was slow going at first, thanks to heavy resistance from Native American tribes that lived on the land.  Mines started to grow more abundant as tribes lost influence and had to sell land to protect their own individual assets.  Currently, there is intense dispute in the Navajo Nation over closing coal mines on their land.  Some argue in favor of preservation of nature; in 2009, the Navajo Nation began promoting “green” jobs, dedicated to low-polluting energy projects.  Others are against closing the mines because they now employ a large percentage of the Native population. 

Today, Arizona’s Black Mesa coal mine generates 100% of Arizona’s coal output, roughly 12 million tons yearly, and it is located in the northeastern region of the state.  In 2009, over 35% of Arizona’s electrical power was produced by burning coal at the Mohave Generating Station located in Nevada, where all of the Black Mesa coal is sent via a long distance pipeline.  That usage equates to 20.9 million short tons of coal burned to propagate 39.8 billion kilowatt hours of electricity.  The excess coal burned in Arizona that is not produced there comes from Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.  Arizona is 32^nd in overall affordability of energy in the United States, and it is the 19^th highest user of coal.

Arizona government began playing a pivotal role in management and distribution of energy in the state in 1973, when it established the Arizona Fuel and Energy Office.  This service was implemented initially to manage a shortage of gasoline.  In the mid 90’s, the Energy Office began the Arizona Community Energy Planning Program to educate and aid the community with energy facts and important activities to engage in to help conserve energy.  This was the beginning of the first big public push for recycling in the state. 

As Arizona moved into the 21^st century, it began considering renewable energy as a way to cope with the environmental issues brought to light by global warming.  Effective May 17, 2011, the Energy Office was put under authority of the Governor’s Office and was renamed the Governor’s Office of Energy Policy.  Their goal is to encourage the establishment of clean energy alternatives to burning of coal and to continue a growing campaign to spread environmental awareness throughout the community.  At the beginning of 2013, Governor Jan Brewer issued the Arizona Master Energy Plan Task Force, which is a comprehensive energy plan for the state.  Different components of future energy design are currently being tackled by state government energy entities.  The components of the task force are: Business and Regulation, Transportation Fuels and Infrastructure Planning, Technology Development, and Natural Resources and Land Use.  Their goal is a holistic solution to the energy crisis that incorporates various sectors of Arizona industry.  Current clean renewable energy resources that are being investigated and encouraged are solar, wind, water, biofuels, geothermal, and hydrogen and fuel cell technology.  These resources currently generate approximately 9% of Arizona’s energy, a number that will hopefully continue to grow in the future . 

Arizona currently has many different forms of energy resources in use. Some of the resources have been used for many years and the damaging effects are now evident. Thankfully many innovations in energy are helping move Arizona into a new energy efficient way a few very interesting renewable resources are being pioneered right here at ASU.

Coal has been used for many years in Arizona and around the world, it’s many environmental hazards are the opponents of coals biggest concern.

   First let’s talk about coal.  Arizona has 8 Coal generating stations.

•    Abitibi Snowflake Power Plant (closed Oct 2012)

•   Apache Generating Station

•   Cholla Power Plant

•   Coronado Generating Station

•   Four Corners Generating Station

•   H. Wilson Sundt Generating Station

•   Navajo Generating Station

Springerville Generating Station

Plentiful- Coal is one of the world’s most plentiful energy sources. According to the National Center for Policy Analysis in Dallas, Texas, the United States has 25 percent of the world’s known coal reserves.

Inexpensive- Compared with other energy sources, such as oil and natural gas, coal is inexpensive, which free market policy analysts and coal industry lobbyists say will mean lower energy bills for consumers and businesses.

Versatile- Coal is not only burned directly, but it can also be transformed into liquid or gas form. Proponents claim that liquefied or gasified coal burns cleaner, meaning less air pollution.

Pollution- Global Warming- Coal-fired power plants are a major source of air pollution, according to the Environmental Defense Fund. Environmentalists also claim coal burning contributes to acid rain and releases large amounts of carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.

Air pollution from coal burning poses a health hazard, especially for individuals with respiratory diseases, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5479102_pros-cons-coal-energy.html#ixzz2n3pFuMKX

 Arizona Has one Nuclear Power plant

Palo Verde

The Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant is located in the Arizona desert, and is the only large nuclear power plant in the world that is not located near a large body of water. The power plant evaporates the water from the treated sewage from several nearby cities and towns to provide the cooling of the steam that it produces. The Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant is the largest nuclear power plant in the United States. Its average electric power production is about 3.3 gigawatts  (GW), and this power serves about four million people.

 Cost efficient- It doesn't depend on fossil fuels and isn't affected by fluctuating oil and gas prices.

Co2 emissions- With nuclear power plants, CO2 emissions are minimal.

Efficient source- nuclear fission produces roughly a million times more energy per unit weight than fossil fuel alternatives

Risky business- Historically, mining and purifying uranium hasn't been a very clean process. Even transporting nuclear fuel to and from plants poses a contamination risk.

Radioactive waste- on average, a nuclear power plant annually generates 20 metric tons of used nuclear fuel, classified as high-level radioactive waste. When you take into account every nuclear plant on earth, the combined total climbs to roughly 2,000 metric tons a year [source: NEI]. All of this waste emits radiation and heat, meaning that it will eventually corrode any container that holds it. It can also prove lethal to nearby life forms. As if this weren't bad enough, nuclear power plants produce a great deal of low-level radioactive waste in the form of radiated parts and equipment.

Cost- Over time, spent nuclear fuel decays to safe radioactive levels, but this process takes tens of thousands of years. Even low-level radioactive waste requires centuries to reach acceptable levels. Currently, the nuclear industry lets waste cool for years before mixing it with glass and storing it in massive cooled, concrete structures. This waste has to be maintained, monitored and guarded to prevent the materials from falling into the wrong hands. All of these services and added materials cost money  and let’s not forget the high costs required to build a plant.

Arizona has 9 hydroelectric dams

•   Childs-Irving Hydroelectric Facilities

•   Coolidge Dam

•   Davis Dam

•   Glen Canyon Dam

•   Hoover Dam

•   Mormon Flat Dam

•   New Waddell Dam

•   Parker Dam

Theodore Roosevelt Dam

In 2006 Hydro electricity generated 20% of the world’s electricity consumption. Hydro electricity is a green and renewable energy resource but it is not with out it’s disadvantages.

  Renewable-Hydroelectric energy is renewable. However, there’s only a limited number of suitable reservoirs where hydroelectric power plants can be built and even less places where such projects are profitable.

Green-Generating electricity with hydro energy is not polluting itself. The only pollution occurs during the construction of these massive power plants.

Reliable-Hydroelectricity is very reliable energy. Countries that have large resources of hydropower use hydroelectricity as a base load energy source. As long as there is water in the magazines electricity can be generated.

 Safe-Compared to among others fossil fuels and nuclear energy, hydroelectricity is much safer. There is no fuel involved (other than water that is).

Environmental Concerns- The environmental issue’s of hydropower are related to interventions in nature due to damming of water, changed water flow and the construction of roads and power lines.Hydroelectric power plants may affect fish is a complex interaction between numerous physical and biological factors. More user interests related to exploitation of fish species, which helps that this is a field that many have strong opinions on. Fish habitats are shaped by physical factors such as water level, water velocity and shelter opportunities and access to food. Draining would be completely devastating to the fish. Beyond this, the amount of water may have different effects on the fish in a river, depending on the type and stage of the lifecycle. Not all unregulated river systems are optimal in terms of fish production, because of large fluctuations in flow.

 Costley -  Building power plants in general is expensive. Hydroelectric power plants are not an exception to this. On the other hand, these plants do not require a lot of workers and maintenance costs are usually low.

Droughts-Electricity generation and energy prices are directly related to how much water is available. A drought could potentially affect this.

Limited Reservoirs-We have already started using up suitable reservoirs for hydroelectric power plants. There are currently about 30 major power plants that are expected to generate more than 2.000 MW under construction. Only one of these projects was started in the last two years.

Natural gas is one of the three energy resources that are leading us into a more earth friendly energy resources. It is a renewable clean energy but it has many of the drawbacks that come with being a fossil fuel.

Clean burning- Natural gas is largely methane and more clearly then other fossil fuels. It has 45% less carbon dioxide emitted then coal and 30% less then oil. It is also a cleaner alternative then gasoline and diesel to power car’s, trucks, and even jet engines

Cost Efficient- Easily transported in pipelines and tankers both over land and sea

Convenient- It can be piped directly into homes

Abundant- There is a relative abundance of natural gas resources

Safe- It is lighter then air so in the event of an accidental leak it will dissipate unlike propane.

Still a fossil fuel- Even though it burns cleaner natural gas is mostly methane. Which is 21 times more dangerous for greenhouse warming then carbon dioxide. And even though it emits less carbon dioxide it still emits it and carbon monoxide as well.

Can be costly- If a home is not properly insulated it may leak, so special plumbing systems must be put into a structure if it is to use natural gas. The system adds a odorant to the gas so people are able to smell a leak.

Leak’s- If a leak was to happen underground it would be able to travel great distances. During this travel the odorant will be worn away and make the gas undetectable. Natural gas is a sever explosion and fire hazard. 

When we start to get into the discussion of a better future for energy wind power is at the top of the list. As of 2009 the U.S Dept of energy say’s that 3 million US homes were powered by wind energy. Wind energy is expected to raise in popularity and use in the 21^st century which gives scientist a bit of time to try and remedy the few con’s to the environment.

Arizona has one Wind Farm

Dry Lake Wind Power Project

Pollution Free- Wind turbines do not produce any pollution or radioactive waste, unlike almost all other forms of electrical generation. The collection of wind energy gives off no greenhouse gases and has no secondary effects that scientists can understand. According to the Energy Information Administration, greenhouse gases have increased by 25 percent since the Industrial Revolution of the late 1800s. The addition of wind turbines as a source of energy will most likely offset that figure.



Self-Reliance- The installation of wind turbines can occur on both a large scale and a more localized one. Large-scale wind turbines can be placed in fields and areas of strong wind gusts to help power whole communities. At the same time, smaller models can be used to power individual homes and farms. This means that in the event of a natural disaster or some other form of interruption to power lines, the home will be self-sustainable from the power generated by the small wind turbine.



No Consumption- The greatest advantage of wind energy is the fact that it allows humans to harness an untapped resource. Wind is essentially an infinite process on the surface of the earth. The sun's energy creates a convection current that makes wind blow. This means that the process to power the wind turbines will last as long as the sun continues to exist.



Lightning Rod-Wind turbines act as a lighting rod in storms. The National Lightning Safety Institute says that nearly all of the damage caused to wind turbines is lightning. In addition, smaller models used in residential neighborhoods also could prove to be dangerous. They would attract lightning more so than a tree because of metallic components.



Bird Deaths-   Wind turbines have very large blades that kill or injure birds that attempt to fly between them. The American Bird Conservancy estimates that roughly 30,000 birds are killed each year by the existing wind turbine infrastructure as of 2008. Scientist have yet to come to consensus on a plausible solution for these fatalities.



Read more: http://www.ehow.com/facts_4814694_pros-cons-wind-power.html#ixzz2n4N3gWN2

Arizona has one solar energy plant

• Solana Generating Station

In 2012, Arizona ranked the second largest market for solar energy (SEIA, 2012). Over 139,000 homes became solar (SEIA, 2012). Arizona also installed the most utility-scale solar than any other state (SEIA, 2012). All together, 710.3 megawatts (mw) equaled out for the year(SEIA, 2012). That’s a lot of solar! It is true that installing solar panels is costly, but the benefits it provides for the environment is endless. In the process of generating electricity, fossil fuels such as, petroleum, coal, and natural gas are burned. When these fossil fuels are burned, it has negative effects on the environment. Pollution in the air and water, global warming, and rising sea levels are all caused by burning of fossil fuels (Dorsey, 1999-2013). A solution for this problem is receiving our electricity from solar panels. Solar panels produce energy from the natural sunlight. In fact, every hour enough solar energy strikes Earth to meet human energy needs for more than a year (Geis, 2010). Although no power is produced during the night, Arizona gets plenty of sunshine year round to compensate for the lack of production at night. Here is break down how solar energy works. When light hits your roof's solar panels with photons or particles of sunlight, the solar panel converts those photons into electrons of electricity. The electrons than flow out of the solar panel and into an inverter and other electrical safety devices. The inverter converts that power into an alternating current. This power is the kind of electrical that your appliances use when plugged into the wall outlet (California Commissions, 2007-2013). Unfortunately this will not stop the burning of fossil fuels, but it will dramatically decrease it.  APS is Arizona’s number one utility company for Electricity. They have also started to make solar fields, to help the people that want to, go green with the energy they use (APS, 2013). If you would rather have your own independence source of electricity, installing solar panels on your home is an option as well (Shahan, 2013).

Like most things, there is a downfall to solar photovoltaic panels. When solar panels are placed either on the roof of a residential home or a community building, they take up a large amount of space. This also applies to solar fields. Solar panels also need to be in direct sunlight to receive the most energy. Another concern with solar panels is they are made out of hazardous materials. Solar panels contain some of the same potentially dangerous materials as electronics, including silicon tetrachloride, cadmium, selenium and sulfur hexafluoride (Geis, 2010). If you breathe in any silicon dust, if is very bad for you and can cause you to have scars on your lung tissues and interfere with your breathing, this disease is called silicosis. Long time exposure to silicon can actually cause you to die ("All about solar,”). These materials can be exposed if solar panels are damaged or disposed of improperly (Anderson, 2013). Lastly, many people find solar panels to look ugly. This is based solely off of matter of opinion though (Anderson, 2013). Furthermore, this leads me back to APS. If one is to find solar panels rather unattractive on their house, they can choose to go through APS with their solar energy. It is a win win situation. You can help the environment by using solar energy, while at the same time eliminating with the hassle and cost of installing solar panels.

Yes I have stated disadvantages of solar energy, but they are still fairly new to the society and need some adjustments. As technology advances so will solar panels. In the long run, it is much more environmentally safe.

By; Morgan Scott

In addition to what Arizona is doing to work towards a greener future, Arizona State University is also striving to be part of the movement. ASU’s Light Works program is looking into creating new renewable sources of energy while improving the use of current energy sources. While two of the largest modes of energy that Light Works is pursuing are Solar Energy and Algal Biofuels, they also are focusing on social sciences, energy efficiency, energy education and policy engagement. They are working with many different disciplines to try and create new ideas that are applicable to the world now.

Assisting the movement is the Utility of the Future Center. They are a center that is helping provide assistance to utilities that are looking to create strategies addressing the coming decentralized energy provisioning for the mid and long-term. Some of the specific services that are provided are looking to provide the likely timing of grid parity or the commercialization of storage, regular workshops to discuss emerging issues and develop new models for business and rate designs, monitoring of the Public Utility Commission Dockets, and individual briefings and studies to work through specific issues. Additionally, they are serving as an advisory center for regulators and assisting consumers and communities with the transition.     

Working to create more renewable resources are Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation (AzCATI), Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies (QESST) and LightSPEED Solutions. 

The AzCATI is working to research how algae could be used as feedstock for biofuels and bioproducts. One of the objectives is to evaluate the validity of converting algal biomass in lipid-based and carbohydrate-based biofuels. The secondary objective is to test the acceptability of algal biofuels as replacements for petroleum-based fuels. They also are researching how environmental improvement can be made with the use of carbon capture and wastewater bioremediation.      

QESST is working with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy to make it possible to create economically viable and sustainable ways to harness solar power. They are working with quantum mechanics to develop photovoltaics and advanced energy converters. With the photovoltaics, they plan to try to provide electricity for 1.5 billion people with access. LightSPEED Solutions is committed to creating market-ready technology/solutions for using sun light fuel in a decade with at least a 13 percent average end-to-end conversion efficiency.

To bring the people together for this movement forward is the Arizona Solar Summit. They hold a convention that brings together people and organizations to advance the solar industry on a national and regional scale. They use people from different disciplines to create ideas for both business and individuals to increase the solar power use on a large scale.

http://www.arizonaenergy.net/Home_Page.html

http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2013/08/27/arizona-colorado-rethinking-energy-water

https://cfo.asu.edu/solar

http://asulightworks.com

https://www.srpnet.com/default.aspx

http://www.aps.com/en/communityandenvironment/Pages/home.aspx