Renewable Energy Resources

Training

Community Energy Futures Institute

The Sonoran Institute's Community Energy Futures Institute (CEFI) assists community teams create a local vision for independence from fossil fuels and foreign sources and introduces them to alternative energy strategies appropriate to a sustainable future.

Conferences

REID Workshop

In 2009, the Arizona legislature provided the legal framework for municipalities and counties to designate a Renewable Energy Incentive District (REID) in their jurisdictions. To facilitate opportunities as well as implementation of appropriate land-use policies to create REIDs 24 companies, municipalities, and institutions joined the Sonoran Institute for a one-day workshop May 22, 2012 on entitling renewable energy districts in Arizona.

Arizona Clean Energy Future Conference

The Institute initiated the collaborative process by hosting the March 2011 Arizona Clean Energy Future Conference. Click here for all the conference resources, including agenda, participant list, recommended reading, and conference presentations.

Tool Support

PowerLine - Innovation in Transmission Planning

To support the exchange of innovative and emerging ideas and practices surrounding transmission planning, the Sonoran Institute has developed an online resource, called PowerLine to serve as a clearinghouse of new approaches to transmission planning, design, and mitigation.

SCOTie - Successful Communities Online Toolkit information exchange

The Successful Communities Online Toolkit information exchange is a searchable database featuring case studies of innovative planning approaches on a variety of energy, climate adaptation, and mitigation, and natural resource protection issues that are geared specifically for the Intermountain West audience. Go to www.scotie.org to view best practices.

Publications

Strategies for Renewable Energy Projects on Arizona's State Trust Lands

As a major landowner in the region, the State of Arizona is poised to benefit from the boom in solar energy. To find out how the Arizona State Land Department can maximize the opportunities for solar energy development. Read the report. 

Utility-Scale Solar Development Scenarios for Arizona

What is a realistic scenario for solar energy development in Arizona over the next 10 years and how many acres of land would that require? This paper prepared for the Sonoran Institute by Ormond Group LLC provides low, medium, and high estimates that would meet in-state needs and opportunities for export. Read the report.

Planning for the Boardman to Hemingway Line: a case study

The Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project consists of a 300-mile, 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line carrying up to 1,500 megawatts (MW) from proposed Grassland Substation near Boardman, Oregon to the Hemingway Substation located approximately 20 miles southwest of Boise, Idaho. The project’s goal is to improve the reliability and efficiency of the utility systems and address congestion problems with transmission in the northeast Oregon and the southwest Idaho region. The proposed route generally follows existing transmission lines and proposed Section 368 Energy Act corridors. Approximately 15 percent of the total proposed route length traverses federally administered land in Oregon and Idaho, and crosses four Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field offices and one national forest. Read or download the Boardman to Hemingway Case Study.

Sonoran Institute's Five Solar Fact Sheets:

• Arizona's Solar Energy Future - An Overview
• Solar Energy for Arizona - A Look at Available Technologies
• Solar Energy and Water: Can We Have Both? Cooling for Solar Thermal Power Systems
• The Importance of Scale - Utility-scale vs. Distributed
• Emerging Solar Technologies: Searching for Solar Power's Holy Grail

Arizona's Clean Energy Future Conference recommended reading:

Recommended reading from the Energy Future Conference held at the Phoenix Country Club on March 22, 2011. These materials include a number of Sonoran Institute fact sheets and publications that explore energy options as well as publications from other organizations. Please click on the title of the publication in which you are interested to view and/or download. Enjoy.

• Arizona Solar Energy and Economics Outlook

• Clean Power Green Jobs Fact Sheet

• Easing the Natural Gas Crisis: Reducing natural gas prices through electricity supply diversification

• The Economic Benefits of Investing in Clean Energy. How the economic stimulus program and new legislation can boost U.S. economic growth and employment

• Estimating U.S. Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: 2002-2008  

• Full Cost Accounting for the Life Cycle of Coal

• National Solar Jobs Census 2010 - A Review of the U.S. Solar Workforce

• Putting Renewable and Energy Efficiency to Work: How many jobs can the clean energy industry generate in the US?

• Putting Renewables to Work: How many jobs can the clean energy industry generate?

• Regional Electric System Planning in the Midwest: A primer for clean energy advocates

• Strategies for Renewable Energy Projects on Arizona's State Trust Lands

• Utility-Scale Solar Development Scenarios for Arizona

• Wires, Roads, and Water: Developing sustainable infrastructure on state trust land

Presentations

Coming Soon.