Energizing Arizona
Mark Green
Posted August 11, 2016
You might not think of Arizona as an energy state and to be sure, it ranks in the 30s in both oil and natural gas production. Arizona’s per capita energy consumption ranks 45th out of the 50 states. Yet, the state’s Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station is the largest nuclear power plant in the country, and the state ranked second in the country in utility-scale electricity generation from solar energy.
Click on the thumbnail to open a two-page energy infographic for the Grand Canyon State.
But Arizona’s energy ties go deeper. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, fuels from petroleum – natural gas, gasoline, fuel oil and others – supplied about 58 percent of the energy Arizonans used in 2014.
Here’s another energy link: Arizona is the nation’s No. 1 producer of copper. Besides the fact that mining is an energy-intensive enterprise, lots of that copper is used in various appliances that use natural gas or propane for fuel. So there’s that.
On Page 2 of the infographic check out the chart that shows what’s at stake in terms of the energy policy choices the U.S. could make – remembering that the United States currently is the world’s leading producer of oil and natural gas.
Pro-development policies would yield broad benefits to the country, according to a study, from jobs and economic growth to benefits to individual American households. Policies that could be characterized by regulatory constraints would produce negative results for the country, the economy and consumers.
Energy is essential for virtually every aspect of our daily lives. It powers national, state and local economies, gets us to work and goes into products we rely on for health and comfort. Safe, responsible energy development here at home is linked to national security as well as Americans’ individual prosperity and liberty – in Arizona, South Carolina, Louisiana, New Jersey and all the 50 states of energy.
About The Author
Mark Green joined API after a career in newspaper journalism, including 16 years as national editorial writer for The Oklahoman in the paper’s Washington bureau. Previously, Mark was a reporter, copy editor and sports editor at an assortment of newspapers. He earned his journalism degree from the University of Oklahoma and master’s in journalism and public affairs from American University. He and his wife Pamela have two grown children and six grandchildren.