Court hands renewable energy supporters a victory

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Arizona, where I live, has taken some pretty bad hits in the media recently.

First, there were those Phoenix residents who welcomed President Obama to town (where he was addressing the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars) by showing up armed with 9mm-pistols and at least one military style semi-auto rifle.

Then came the announcement by Arthur Frommer, publisher of the best-selling travel guide series, that he was carrying out his own personal boycott of our state. Not because of the gun-toters, but because state and local officials saw nothing wrong with them coming to a presidential visit locked and loaded. (A position that, I admit, I also find a bit…how should I put this…unbelievably moronic and dangerous.)

I tell you, we were more than ready to get some good ink for our state.

That came yesterday when a Maricopa County (Phoenix) superior court handed down a ruling that keeps Arizona on course to be a leader in solar power. I provide a lot more detail on the ruling and give links to download the court documents over at my site, The Phoenix Sun.

But the take home message is this: the state commission that regulates utilities can continue a program that helps us diversify our energy mix and move from increasingly expensive fossil fuels to renewable power sources.

So, Mr. Frommer, if you’re reading this, please consider dropping by to see our world-class clean, non-CO2-emitting, renewable power systems — in addition to the Grand Canyon, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Monument Valley in the Navajo Nation. The best part is, you don’t even need to bring a gun.