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AriSEIA's News You Can Use March 11, 2021

Greetings members, It is my hope that everyone is enjoying this beautiful sunny weather. AriSEIA has been quite busy opposing multiple bills at the state legislature, as well as hosting our first Codes and Permitting Subcommittee meeting.  For those who continue to send letters and emails to our state legislators opposing SB 1175/HB 2248 and HB 2737, we thank you. Your continued efforts to educate the legislators on the negative impact these bills will have on our state's energy policies, economy and job sector are truly making a difference.  Status of Bills: HB 2248: Corporation Commission; Electric Generation Resources This bill has made its way through the House of Representatives and was Third Read on 3/3/20201. It received 31 ayes, 28 nays and one not voting. The vote was split along party lines.  SB 1175: Corporation Commission; Electric Generation Resources This bill is the mirrored version of HB 2248 from the House; however, this version has not made it as far in the process and has been retained on the Senate Committee of the Whole calendar twice now.  This week Arizona Public Service joined in publicly opposing both HB 2248 and SB 1175.  HB 2737: Corporation Commission Actions; Investigation This bill would allow any legislator to challenge any non-ratemaking decision of the Arizona Corporation Commission by filing a complaint with the Arizona Attorney General’s office. If found to exceed the commission’s authority, the commission will lose 10% of its budget for the year. This bill passed through the House Committee of the Whole process on 3/4/2021, however, did receive opposition from both Democratic and Republican members. The bill has not moved forward to House Third Read.  Please continue to tell your state legislator to vote no on HB 2248, SB 1175 and HB 2737. It is imperative that we convey the negative impact passing these bills will have on the regulatory certainty that companies rely on to locate, relocate and grow. We need to protect our state’s economy, our health and our future. Email your State Representatives and State Senators.

Committee Reminders: Please join us for our upcoming Public Policy Committee and our Codes and Permitting Subcommittee.  Public Policy Committee March 18, 2021 at 2:00 – 3:00 pm Register Here Codes and Permitting Subcommittee March 24, 2021 at 3:00 – 4:00 pm Register Here

Again, thank you for your continued pressure to oppose HB 2248, SB 1175 and HB 2737. I look forward to your participation in our Public Policy Committee as well as our Codes and Permitting Subcommittee. At your service, Nicole LaSlavic  AriSEIA Executive Director

Stay Connected With AriSEIA Online Like us, follow us, and engage with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn! We post daily articles of interest, so don't miss out.

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Solar+Storage Updates

Celebrating Women in Solar We're celebrating the incredible women of solar, both earlier this week for International Women's Day and all month long for Women's History Month! Women represented only 26% of the solar workforce in 2019, and we want to see this number grow. We encourage you to join us this month and make a commitment to fostering diversity in the solar+storage industry. Click here to read more about how SEIA is providing resources that can help companies welcome more women and other underrepresented groups to our workforce and ensure they have opportunities to advance and succeed. Storage Deployments Shatter Records in Q4 2020 The fourth quarter of 2020 saw more than 2,100 MWh of energy storage systems come online, according to a report from Wood Mackenzie and the U.S. Energy Storage Association. This impressive deployment represents a 182% increase over the previous quarter and set a new record for the industry. Click here to learn more.

Notable Dates:

March 15 - ACC Resource Planning and Procurement in 2019, 2020, and 2021 Workshop (Agenda Here) March 18 - ACC Energy Reliability Summit-Special Open Meeting (Agenda Here) March 18 - AriSEIA Public Policy Committee (Join Meeting) March 23-24 - ACC Open Meeting (Agenda Here) March 24 - AriSEIA Codes and Permitting Subcommittee (Join Meeting)

Local and National Updates

The Wave of Change: Women, Solar, and an Evolving Industry As we celebrate the inauguration of Vice President Harris and other talented women tapped to lead agencies and offices throughout the Biden Administration, we also want to honor the incredible women working in the solar industry. Women continue to be underrepresented in science- and technology-focused fields, and the solar industry is no different.   READ MORE

How Giant Batteries Are Protecting The Most Vulnerable In Blackouts As the blackouts in Texas dragged on, millions of residents quickly realized they had more to worry about than trying to light and heat their homes. The water coming out their faucets was no longer safe to drink. Like falling dominos, infrastructure around Texas, dependent on electricity, began failing in the extreme cold. READ MORE

Conservative Conservation Group Urges Arizona Lawmakers To Support Renewable Energy A conservative group says Arizona Republicans are wrong to limit renewable energy in the state. David Jenkins is president of Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship. He says Arizona House Bill 2248 and its companion Senate Bill 1175 — which strip the commission’s powers to mandate use of renewables — will actually alienate conservatives. READ MORE

Other Things We're Reading

Judge: Arizona utility regulators can access corporate records with majority vote Q&A with Gary Dirks, Director of ASU Lightworks Biden Faces 'Balancing Act' Advancing Clean Energy Alongside Labor Allies National Solar Trade Group Strengthens Leadership Ranks with New Board Members NREL’s New Solar TRACE Tool Adds Transparency to Permitting, Inspection, and Interconnection Nationwide The Navajo Nation generates a ton of power — but 14,000 homes don’t have electricity US lags international peers on renewables development, and federal policy is to blame An insane increase in battery capacity came online in the United States in Q4 2020

Become an AriSEIA Member or Renew Today!

Now is the perfect time to become an AriSEIA member! AriSEIA membership comes with various benefits, including access to industry resources and events, visibility and promotion for your organization, opportunities to participate in innovative policy efforts, and so much more. If you are already a member and want to renew, click here. If you are not yet a member, click here to learn more about our membership levels and how you can join us in advancing solar and storage in sunny Arizona! To become a member, join online or contact us. Send your AriSEIA Membership check to: AriSEIA 7144 E. Stetson Dr., Suite 300 Scottsdale, AZ 85251  or for your convenience:

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AriSEIA's News You Can Use Published Every Other Thursday   If you have news or announcements you think should be included in the newsletter (space permitting), please send by email to: media@ariseia.org.

If you are interested in volunteering on the policy committee, please contact the co-chairs: Robert Neifert and/or Court Rich