Arizona must lead on energy infrastructure investment

OPINION:

Arizona is becoming a leading example of our nation’s drive toward a cleaner, more affordable, and more reliable energy future. As Arizona’s population continues to grow and as manufacturers, such as the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, continue to move to Arizona, energy demand will continue to rise.

Arizona’s realistic approach includes using all of our energy resources and capitalizing on energy innovation. Liberals’ solar- and wind-only approach has proven to be unsustainable and unreliable. Instead, we must utilize an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, which requires investment in a variety of energy sources and infrastructure to protect grid reliability and our nation’s energy future.

Arizona has long been recognized as the most reliable electric provider in the country. However, even Arizona has seen warning signs that threaten our reliability. To maintain our power grid’s reliability and affordability, we must increase investment in reliable baseload generation, renewables, hydrogen, and new technologies. We must also invest in the pipelines and power lines needed to deliver that energy from where it is produced to where it is consumed.

It is important that Arizona and the United States continue to use an all-of-the-above energy approach and not rely on only one or two sources of energy. Arizona has one of the highest utilization rates for solar power anywhere in the nation. However, solar power in Arizona produces energy only 29% of the time on average, making it an unreliable source for constant output. To bolster grid reliability, Arizona must invest in natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, hydrogen, solar, wind, carbon-capture, and new technologies, along with pipelines and transmission lines.

Arizona also has the benefit of learning from the grave mistakes our neighbor, California, has made in its rush to use only green energy sources. Arizona’s realistic approach focused on reliability, affordability, and innovation will allow the state to attract more businesses and manufacturing while preventing rolling blackouts. Keeping the lights on should not take a back seat to unrealistic Green New Deal aspirations.

To that end, it is exciting to see that hydrogen power is gaining traction in Arizona. Arizona is uniquely poised to be a successful hydrogen hub, as it already has large investments in solar and nuclear energy generation, as well as the geologic resources to store hydrogen. Excess nuclear and solar power produced during times of low demand can be converted to clean hydrogen. In fact, Arizona is currently competing in the U.S. Department of Energy’s initiative to build a network of low-carbon hydrogen hubs to help spur clean energy growth and development. Existing natural gas pipelines are already being tested to determine how much hydrogen can be added to the lines, and major energy companies are already planning to produce hydrogen in the state and build hydrogen pipelines throughout the state. Investments in infrastructure that will allow the development and use of hydrogen power are essential to this plan.

Arizona State University is currently working on cutting-edge carbon capture technology. This technology will also require pipeline infrastructure. Transporting captured carbon dioxide requires pipelines to move it from the place where the carbon dioxide is emitted to a safe and secure sequestration location. The United States has done a comprehensive geologic survey of the entire country, and we now know the best places to store these emissions.

The safest, most realistic, and most affordable way to support clean energy is through pipeline infrastructure. Clean natural gas, hydrogen, and captured carbon dioxide will all require a network of pipelines to move the product from where it is manufactured to other locations around the country.

The United States has been a global clean energy leader, and American-made energy continues to be the cleanest in the world. Among the United States, Arizona can and should lead the way. We have an abundance of resources right here at home, that, with the right infrastructure, can unleash American energy independence without sacrificing reliability and affordability for our families.

• U.S. Representative Debbie Lesko, Arizona Republican, is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where she serves on the Subcommittees on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security; Innovation, Data, and Commerce; and Oversight and Investigations. She represents the state’s Eighth Congressional District and is also a member of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.