US energy debate heats up as Solar Impulse plans trip
“US energy debate heats up as Solar Impulse plans trip”
Published April 20, 2016 | swissinfo.ch
“In many ways Phoenix, Arizona, would be a natural stop for a high-tech solar airplane like Solar Impulse because the sun influences many aspects of life in the desert city. But temperatures are rising in the state over disagreements on how to manage the growth of solar power.
Phoenix is one of four options for the next Solar Impulse landing. The others are Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver. It would be a repeat visit for the Solar Impulse team, which stopped there while crossing the United States in 2013.
“The opportunity to be able to bring our airplane to the US, to do this flight across America, [is] something we’ve been dreaming about since the beginning of the project,” Solar Impulse’s co-founder André Borschberg told a group of graduating Arizona State University engineering students then. Continue reading “US energy debate heats up as Solar Impulse plans trip”
Solar Impulse Exclusive: Link to Interview with pilot Andre Borschberg
The sun is long gone, and the countdown to dawn is ticking away. The crowds of press and crew have dwindled to a minimum at the Payerne airfield. I am one of a handful of people awake and alert during this event. A photographer once told me the key to a good picture is timing. “You just need to be there,” he said. That is also true of journalism. At 1 a.m. I was allowed into the sacred heart of this Solar Impulse project to interview pilot Andre Borschberg. I and a French journalist were the only two allowed into the control room, and the interviews were broadcast at solarimpulse.com.
Continue reading “Solar Impulse Exclusive: Link to Interview with pilot Andre Borschberg”
Part 3: Energy Lessons from Others?
All this week we’re looking at renewable energy in Arizona, and hearing how one world leader in the industry, Germany, is doing business. Some observers see Arizona’s progress in the renewable energy game slow-going, motivated mostly by tax incentives for companies and customers to go “green.” As KJZZ’s Tony Ganzer reports, the tax structure and policy in Europe is much more aggressive, but may not be the answer for Arizona.
Part 2: Germany’s Energy Attitudes
This morning we continue our series on renewable energy. If you compiled a list of places in the world with a strong foothold in the renewable energy world, you may see Oregon listed for its solar manufacturing; or Spain and Germany for their favorable tax structures and emphasis on green technology. But Arizona is not considered a leader, despite an abundant and obvious resource: the sun. KJZZ’s Tony Ganzer traveled to Germany to find out why that country has made renewable energy a priority.
Part 1: Energy in Arizona
All this week we’re looking at renewable energy in Arizona. Though the sun shines on the state for hundreds of days a year, most of Arizona’s energy needs are still met by gas, coal and nuclear power. But as KJZZ’s Tony Ganzer reports, that may not always be the case.
Continue reading “Part 1: Energy in Arizona”Energy Series Preview
KJZZ’s Paul Atkinson interviews KJZZ Morning Edition Producer Tony Ganzer about an upcoming series about renewable energy. KJZZ News will begin the series January 5 on Morning Edition.