Arizona Cities Highlighted for Solar Progress in New Report

Phoenix ranks fourth for solar energy in a new report from Environment Arizona Research & Policy Center, landing it among the nation’s leaders for installing clean energy from the sun. Not to be outdone, the report notes that Tucson’s level of solar per capita would also rank among the nation’s leading solar cities.

“Cities like Phoenix and Tucson are leading the way to a future powered by clean, renewable energy,” says Bret Fanshaw, with Environment Arizona Research & Policy Center. “By tapping into more of our vast solar energy potential, we can benefit from cleaner air and fight climate change.”

Phoenix ranked ahead of San Jose, California, and just behind Honolulu, Hawaii, for total megawatts of solar energy installed as of year-end 2017.

Many Arizona cities are making plans to go solar. Tempe recently committed to powering its municipal operations with 100 percent renewable energy by 2035. The report, “Shining Cities 2018: How Smart Local Policies Are Expanding Solar Power in America,” shows that the top 20 solar cities, comprising just 0.1 percent of the country’s land mass, account for 4 percent of U.S. solar capacity.

“We are in a moment when progress on renewable energy will come from cities across the country,” says Fanshaw. “More local leaders should step up and start plugging their communities into the clean and virtually limitless power of the sun.”

“Shining Cities” is the fifth annual report from Environment Arizona Research & Policy Center. Each year, the survey ranks nearly 70 of the nation’s major cities by megawatts of solar energy.

For more information, call Bret Fanshaw at 602-252-9225 or email [email protected].