Click play to listen to this article.

Policymakers and community leaders in Arizona are calling on Congress to restore alternative energy tax incentives stripped in the federal budget reconciliation bill.

The sun shines at least 300 days a year in Arizona, making it a perfect place to invest in solar energy. Solar advocates want federal lawmakers to allow state residents to take advantage of the green power source.

Representative Aaron Márquez, D-Phoenix, said stripping incentives for solar power threatens the security and economic success of Arizona families.

"The Pentagon calls it a 'threat multiplier,'" Márquez pointed out. "Because rising heat and scarce resources drive conflict and instability around the world, and here at home, Arizonans have the right to clean air, safe water and protection from extreme weather."

Image

Marquez is part of a group called Elected Officials to Protect America, which advocates for environmental protections. The group contended solar power and battery storage technology are cheaper and more environmentally friendly than traditional fuel sources.

When Congress rescinded alternative energy tax incentives in its budget reconciliation bill, Arizona lost a $156 million grant to invest in solar projects.

Senator Lauren Kuby, D-Tempe, said it will hinder the state's ability to meet its clean energy goals, and using fossil fuels to generate power will fall directly on consumers.

"The decision makes no sense, because energy efficiency is one of the cheapest forms of energy," Kuby asserted. "It's one of the most effective tools to reduce demand and save money for ratepayers. It's been shown, proven, that for every dollar we invest in energy efficiency, we get back $4."

Despite the incentive cuts, other public interest research groups have encouraged state and local governments to replace gas-burning cars and trucks in their fleets with electric ones, which could save Arizona $100 million over the next decade.

Elected Officials to Protect America recently held an event at the Tempe Public Library.

Corey Woods, mayor of Tempe, noted the library just installed a solar complex designed to make the city less dependent on fossil fuels, adding it helps create a better atmosphere for the community. The library gets 70 percent of its power from the solar panels.

"And that's just one example," Woods stressed. "Across the city, Tempe has invested in 10 solar sites adding up to 6.1 megawatts of clean energy. All together, those systems together provide about 26 percent of the energy used in all city buildings."

Under the Biden administration, the Inflation Reduction Act made nearly $370 million in alternative energy tax breaks and grants available to encourage clean energy investment. Many of the incentives have since been eliminated. The Trump administration has said it is trying to reduce dependence on foreign energy supplies.