Ariz. bill on energy efficiency laws stirs debate
AZ Daily Sun, February 13, 2014An Arizona proposal to prohibit local government mandates for energy-efficiency standards or green-energy use in new buildings is stirring debate.
State Sen. Chester Crandell, R-Heber, said his bill is an attempt to hold down construction costs and let builders choose what features to include in new construction.
Some astronomers say the bill could hamper efforts to protect dark skies if it is read as barring local governments from requiring low-intensity outside lighting.
“In fairness, lighting isn’t mentioned, but all it would take is for some person to argue light is energy, and that isn’t a real stretch of physics,” Lowell Observatory Director Jeff Hall said.