Two new food innovation centers are redeveloping a former . The centers will focus on food distribution, research, development, and innovation, creating a food epicenter in the heart of the city of Phoenix called the

鈥淎ccess to healthy food is still critical. This is not something we can just wake up one day and say, 鈥榃e have got to get moving on this,鈥欌�� , director of Phoenix Community and Economic Development. 

The project will be constructed in . The first phase of this project includes building a  20-acre park, the wholesale food distribution center, and the development and research space. The latter part of the project will include the building of a permanent farmers market where small or local businesses are able to set up booths to sell their food products and other items.

Overall, the project is expected to cost about $200 million. Robert Kline, managing director of debt and structured finance for the Southwest region for Colliers International in Phoenix, 鈥渢here are about a dozen lenders considering financing the project, which still has a few approvals to receive from the city before construction can begin.鈥� Kline said that for the project they are looking to obtain funding for about 60%-65%, and that the partners will bring in some funding of their own as well.

Not only will this development create about 1,500 jobs in the Valley once fully completed, but it will also put Arizona as a new hub for food distribution. 

鈥淭hat large-scale distribution doesn鈥檛 exist anywhere else in the central part of the southwestern U.S.,鈥� said Todd Hardy, one of the four founders of Arizona Fresh Holdings, the group behind the redevelopment plans for the South Phoenix Del Rio landfill. 鈥淭he time is right to produce this kind of distribution center for the distribution of food.鈥�

Not only will this project revamp the landfill, but it is also going to reuse the former Kmart store near Interstate 17 and Northern Avenue. This building will be turned into a food production center that will focus on job training and education. 
also plans to open a food business incubator in South Phoenix. This comes after receiving a $100,000 grant from the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. That building will be located at 3146 E. Wier Ave.

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The Phoenix Suns have formalized a partnership with Footprint, a locally based materials science company dedicated to sustainable technology. The partnership with Footprint will help transform the home of the Suns and Mercury into a laboratory for sustainable solutions, just ahead of the Suns鈥� tip off to the 2021-2022 season. 

Beginning with the team鈥檚 season opener Wednesday night, fans will see the replacement of plastic utensils and other concession items with Footprint鈥檚 plant-based alternatives. Over time, the arena will introduce additional Footprint products and technologies.

Footprint, which is based in Gilbert, was founded in 2014 by former Intel Engineers, Troy Swope and Yoke Chung. The company鈥檚 mission is to end the use of single-use plastics through the development of plant-based fiber technology. 

Footprint was recently recognized on the list and works with companies such as McDonald鈥檚, Kraft Heinz, Beyond Meat, and Conagra. While nothing has been finalized, it was that Footprint has engaged in talks to go public by way of a merger with Gore Holdings VII Inc., a deal that would value the company upwards of $3 billion.

With the return of fans to sporting events, this partnership highlights the need for venues to implement more sustainable practices. Large scale sporting events and concerts present unique environmental challenges. One EPA found that each year sporting events produce 39 million pounds of waste per year. 

鈥淭he sports industry is going to start seeing that there is this movement around sustainability and what it means to be a part of it 鈥� I think all stadiums are going to see it as something they have to do and there will be minimum bars of transparency of what that means鈥� Footprint chief marketing officer Susan Koehler to CNBC.

Through this partnership and the transformation of Footprint Center, the Phoenix Suns and Footprint have positioned themselves to be at the forefront of this emerging innovation. 

The front office leadership of the Phoenix Suns have emphasized this point and what this means for the organization. 

According to managing partner , 鈥淭he idea is Footprint will create an innovation lab for us within our arena, and then we can take that and get other arenas throughout the world interested in doing the same thing.鈥�

鈥淭hey are going to help us eliminate single-use plastic within our arena and we are going to help them promote their brand so that over time they will be a household name,鈥� said Sarver.

At an official ribbon cutting ceremony in front of the arena, Suns鈥� president and CEO, Jason Rowley, reiterated these sentiments. 鈥淲e are confident that through the support, commitment and hard work of all stakeholders, Footprint Center will serve as the model sports and entertainment venue for sustainable innovation.鈥�

in attendance included Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, and Larry Fitzgerald, who was named as the first Footprint Ambassador. Mayor Gallego spoke to the crowd and emphasized the importance of this partnership to the greater Phoenix community. 

鈥淛ust last night, the Phoenix City Council and I approved an updated, comprehensive Climate Action Plan that accelerates our goal to reach net-zero before 2050,鈥� Gallego said. 鈥淚鈥檓 proud to have partners like the Suns and Footprint who are fully engaged in creating a healthy, sustainable future for Phoenix.鈥�

The Suns have long been leaders when it comes to issues of sustainability and environmental concerns. They were one of the first arenas to switch to solar energy and have introduced various water conservation efforts. 

Coming off a historic season, which included a Western Conference championship and a Finals appearance, the Phoenix Suns will have an amplified platform to continue to promote this type of innovation. 

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As Arizona industries produce products in high demand like semiconductors, aircraft engines, electric vehicles and copper ore, the state is well poised to help the world recover from the pandemic.

But strong U.S. leadership is needed to ensure that Arizona and other states are able to flourish on the international stage, said government and business leaders from across the world who spoke at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce鈥檚 inaugural Global Forum on Economic Recovery. 

鈥淲e now join a small number of generations that have collectively experienced disruption on a  global scale鈥� the president and CEO of the , Suzanne Clark, said at the event. 

Moving forward, the chamber is advocating for policies that will help American businesses better reach the 95 percent of customers that live outside of U.S. borders, she said. 

鈥淭he wrong policies from government could stop the U.S. economic recovery in its tracks. That鈥檚 why the Chamber is fighting back against proposals such as raising corporate tax rates to the highest in the developed world, which would disincentivize inbound investment. And it鈥檚 why we are fighting for policies to rebuild our infrastructure, welcome global talent, and enable our workforce to get back on the job and drive our economy forward.鈥�  

Business and political leaders from 140 countries attend   

Attending the virtual event were government leaders and business executives from 140 countries across six continents. Amazon, Google and UPS were the sponsors. Participants spoke about strategies for recovery. Free enterprise and strong alliances with trading partners were overriding themes. 

Among the speakers were: Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury; the president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta; the president of Colombia, Iv谩n Duque M谩rquez; the prime minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong; the co-founder of Microsoft Corporation, Bill Gates; and others.

Creating roadmap for recovery with U.S. in leadership role  

Chamber officials emphasized the need for U.S. leadership to ensure the nation can compete against global rising giants like China.

Clark outlined the chamber鈥檚 top three top priorities to accomplish that 鈥� strengthen international trade and investment; advocate for policies to allow data and innovation to flow and flourish; and promote legislation to stimulate innovation in technology to reduce greenhouse emissions for a sustainable planet.  

First priority: managing the pandemic

All participants agreed that the most important task is the rapid development and deployment of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. While 35 percent of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, other countries are not faring as well, Clark said.  

鈥淎 strong U.S. recovery is needed to help lead the global recovery. We also understand that the pandemic won鈥檛 be over anywhere until it is over everywhere鈥攏o nation will truly get back to strength until all nations get back to health,鈥� Clark said.

To that end, the Chamber has teamed up with the Business Roundtable, an association of CEOs of America’s leading companies, and leaders of more than 50 top American companies to form the 鈥攁 public-private  partnership to coordinate relief for COVID-19 surges globally. Currently, the Task Force is working to address the India crisis.  

Global leaders talk top priorities 

Here are takeaways from some of the speakers:

Janet Yellen, U.S. Treasury secretary 

鈥淎merica needs to have a strong presence in global markets. We will fight for a level playing field for trade and investment, and we will confront adversaries who take advantage by ignoring or abusing rules and norms of behavior.鈥�  

Kent Walker, senior vice president for Global Affairs, Google 

鈥淎s hard as the last year has been, it’s shown the value and the potential of technology 鈥� millions of small businesses coming online for the first time. A third of businesses are saying that they were able to stay open because of digital connections.鈥� 

Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Kenya 

“I personally am very keen on seeing the arrangement between Kenya and the United States under the free trade arrangement coming into force as two countries who understand each other and have similar and shared values. [Who] understand the private sector is really the driver of growth and job creation.鈥� 

Antoinette Sayeh, deputy managing director, International Monetary Fund

鈥淩ight now, vaccine policy is the most important economic policy. Investing in ensuring everyone rapidly has access to vaccines may well be the highest return public project. If you consider that faster progress in ending this crisis would add almost $9 trillion to global GDP by 2025, enabling over $1 trillion in additional tax revenue, coordinated international action on vaccines is key.鈥�

Iv谩n Duque M谩rquez, President of Colombia聽

鈥淲e have to do something very significant in terms of protecting the poorest of the poor and the people who will be the most affected by the crisis and that’s why we launched a social safety net program that has allowed us to attend to almost 10 million families around the country.鈥�

Bill Gates, co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 

鈥淵ou know, the actual cost of being ready for the next pandemic is not gigantic鈥攊f you look at the precautionary measures of what we spend on our defense budget, you know this won’t be more than about 1percent of that. Even our overall health research budget, the overall cost of what we, the U.S. teams do, will be about 10 percent of that鈥limate on the other hand, the numbers are quite large.鈥�

Lee Hsien Loong, prime minister of Singapore  

鈥淵ou’ve got global trading needing to be on a stable basis in order for companies to import and export trade and develop their business and prosperity. The two countries (U.S.& China) must work together.鈥�

Tom Bell, CEO and chairman, Rolls-Royce North America 

“鈥ncentivizing these sustainable alternative fuels production: It’s wonderful that yesterday an Air France jet left Europe and landed in Canada on sustainable aviation fuel. In this particular case it was a kitchen grease that was repurposed. But let’s be honest, we all don’t want to eat enough french fries to feed that stock, that’s not healthy for the world. So, how are we going to really bring to scale sustainable alternative fuels?鈥�

Carol Tom茅, CEO, UPS 

鈥淲hen we think about the impact of the pandemic, we know that women were impacted more than any other group and even before the pandemic women had barriers for global trade鈥� we really gotta think about how we can leverage women at the top and down to grow global trade.鈥� 

Erik Oswald, vice president, strategy and advocacy, ExxonMobil Low Carbon Solutions 

鈥淲e’ll need support from many different parties, both private and public, to succeed. Regulatory and legal support at all levels of government will be crucial for establishing incentives and attracting investment. First, we need Congress to allow for Co2 from non-coal sources to be stored offshore. Second, we need a significant increase in the production tax credits in Section 45 to allow more difficult but abundant sources to be captured. And finally, we need government grants for transportation and storage infrastructure that will ultimately facilitate market growth.鈥�

Charlene Barshefsky, chair, Parkside Global Advisors 

鈥淴i Jinping believes that China’s model and its focus on innovation, that its programmatic desire to dominate in industries of the future is the direction of the world. As he says, history is on China’s side and the momentum is on China’s side. And for the United States, the key and most important factor in the nature of the relationship with China is a strong United States economically and militarily鈥攏othing compensates for that and nothing substitutes for it.鈥�

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) 

鈥淲e can’t be fighting with Mexico and China, and the EU, and South Korea and Japan, we’ve got to come together and say we collectively are going to have to make sure that China understands what the rules of the road are.鈥�

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Arizona State University often touts its annual U.S. World News as the number 1 university in the world for 鈥渋nnovation.鈥� But what does that really mean? How does this concept fit into Arizona鈥檚 economic outlook? 

Michael Porter, a Harvard professor who has dedicated his career to studying economic competitiveness, believes that 鈥淚nnovation is more than just scientific discovery. Innovation stretches beyond science and technology, and includes all the activities involving the discerning of needs and the transformation of knowledge into commercial products, processes, and services. In advanced regions, prosperity rests heavily on the capacity for continuous innovation.鈥� 

U.S. World News describes its methodology for choosing the 鈥渕ost innovative universities鈥� by analyzing a school鈥檚 investments in 鈥渃urriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.鈥�

Innovation as a touchstone

The university鈥檚 focus on innovation has taken root across the state, with Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in his first year in office that Arizona 鈥渉as a culture of innovation.鈥� Through economic reforms, expanded programs, and public-private partnerships, the state government has collaborated with local governments and the private sector to draw investment and enterprise to the state. 

One strategy leveraged to accrue investment was the implementation of the . This program certifies up to $2.5 million of tax credits annually from July 2017 through June 2021 for 鈥渜ualified investments made in qualified small businesses.鈥� This program reached its full funding potential in November 2020 when the Arizona Commerce Authority that all the funding for the program had been allocated. 

Venture capital is a large resource to both the economy and workforce, economic growth and for career creation. Venture capital dollar amounts in Arizona over the past two years have set records. In 2018, went to Arizona startups over 133 deals. In 2019, $723 million in venture capital was invested in startups based in Arizona over 114 deals. 

In 2018, Gov. Ducey signed , which created a FinTech (Financial Technology) Regulatory Sandbox, the first of its kind in the United States. This allowed for companies to launch products on a temporary and limited scale to consumers in order to test their products, services, business models, and delivery mechanisms in the real market without having to face regulatory costs and burdens that would otherwise be imposed. 

At the time, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, 鈥淎rizona has always been a state for big ideas and this is just one more place where we are trailblazing in entrepreneurship and innovation.鈥� 

Then in 2019, Ducey signed House Bill 2673 into law, which established a Property Technology–PropTech– Sandbox. Similar to H.B. 2434, it provided opportunities for startups and existing companies, which are focused on real estate, a regulatory free space to test their products and services without incurring repercussions normally incurred in a real market. 

Workforce expansion

All of these efforts combined with the location of the state and the high-tech and highly skilled pipeline talent have led to the influx of companies looking to make the Valley their new homebase. 

According to the , Maricopa County is among the top counties in the United States for talent attraction, driven by a growth migration and regional competitiveness. In 2020, the skilled workforce in the county by 18 percent and the county as a whole number 1 for regional competitiveness. 

Regional competitiveness in the scorecard is as the job change that occurs due to factors within a region, as opposed to being the result of national border trends. Other counties which are typically compared to Maricopa such as Los Angeles County or Palm Beach were ranked 601st and 23rd respectively. 

With the of Silicon Desert, the state of Arizona has garnered a lot of attention from companies looking to capitalize on the economic benefits the state offers. 

Chris Camacho, CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), that Arizona鈥檚 highly skilled workforce and competitive taxation (compared to neighboring states) has enabled this expansion: 鈥淭hese individuals and companies are seeking other alternatives from the high tax and regulatory environment that plagued them.鈥� 

Companies such as DoorDash, Opendoor, and Norton LifeLock have all moved into the state or made decisions that are expanding their influence in the region, . Twenty-two percent of the population of Tempe is made up of millenials and the city is home to Arizona State University. On top of this, 30 percent of the Phoenix metropolitan area holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree or higher. 

There are lots of benefits to reap from coming to the Valley, including the workforce coming out of the large state universities. This means that companies can have a large staff for a lower price of leading tech locations in other states. is expected to grow and prosper over the next few years as businesses look to make the move toward technological hubs to promote networking between skilled individuals and companies. 

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Innovation today for a post-COVID future is not an opportunity, but rather a necessity. Everything has changed from the way we socialize, shop, and work to how we enjoy entertainment and receive healthcare. We agree with the that innovators addressing monumental and urgent challenges today should be solving for what society will need tomorrow. For example, out of the successful search for a Spanish Flu vaccine following the 1918 pandemic came discovery that DNA holds our genetic code. In today鈥檚 COVID world, reimagining how we work, learn, see the doctor and yes, even play during a worldwide pandemic is the challenge for tomorrow. 

At Cox, we鈥檙e listening to our business and residential customers about how their lives have changed and what their expectations are from us in these uncertain times. We鈥檙e looking deep and our product managers are focused on what Cox services can do to support our customers and our community鈥檚 workforce right now and into the future. This means changing our processes without taking shortcuts and accelerating the pace of idea flow and decision making. One example is our technology supporting a seamless work-from-home experience. 

Like so many businesses, in the early 2000s, Cox tapped into its own technology and pioneered a 鈥渢elework鈥� solution for local customer care representatives. This was originally launched to respond to a workforce looking for a flexible schedule. Over the years, this concept and the technology supporting it was perfected and embraced by our team. When the threat of COVID-19 became apparent last spring, Cox relied on its deep fiber and cloud-based network to scale our remote-work solution for many of the 3,000+ Cox employees across the state. We learned that we can harness the big brains in this company, evolve our technology and innovate new solutions quickly that are built to last. 

We鈥檙e not alone in seeing the broader benefits of our employees working from home. According to a recent of 330 US CFOs and finance leaders, many are looking to harness the flexibility, quick decision making, flat organizational structures and clearer communication benefits that have grown out of employees working from home. According to PwC, 54 percent of the CFO鈥檚 surveyed say they plan to make remote work a permanent option for roles that allow it.

Now we are taking many of the learnings we have come to appreciate in our own business, evolving our technology even further and have produced a Work-at Home solution for other Arizona companies. This solution provides remote staff with enterprise-grade, separate internet connections from the office directly to their homes including Wi-Fi, endpoint security and a malicious domain blocker to help ensure staff members have the same highly reliable, quick connectivity they would have when working in the office.

Our community is counting on great innovations as each of us faces change brought about by COVID-19. While we don鈥檛 know what鈥檚 around the next corner, rest assured Cox is continuing to innovate new connectivity solutions that will help consumers and businesses adapt and continue to thrive in 2021 and beyond.

Ed Aaronson is Vice President for Cox Business, Arizona. Cox Business provides voice, data, internet and managed cloud services for small and regional businesses nationwide, including health care providers; K鈭�12 and higher education; financial institutions; and federal, state and local government organizations. Cox is committed to creating meaningful moments of human connection through broadband applications and services. The largest private telecom company in America, we proudly serve six million homes and businesses across 18 states.

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A new national report card places Arizona as the top state in the nation for a friendly regulatory environment that encourages charter schools to grow and excel. As a result, Arizona has one of the most robust and diverse charter school systems in the country, according to the report. 

For families, that equates into more options to find a school that fits their children鈥檚 unique needs, said Jake Logan, president and CEO of the nonprofit . 

鈥淭his indicates what we already know in Arizona, that we have a really great environment for innovation and for charter schools to flourish,鈥� Logan said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always tweaks and needed changes and reforms that we can and should discuss, but overall we have a really healthy charter school sector and I think they are serving students very well.鈥�

Arizona ranked number one for its charter school laws in the 2020 report from the nonprofit in Washington, D.C., which advocates for school choice. 

It was the only state to receive an 鈥淎鈥� grade in the The study researched and assessed charter school laws in all states, analyzing the impact of state law on charter schools, the robustness of the charter sector, the diversity of schools and charter school policy and regulation. 

Atmosphere that encourages innovation and teacher freedom 

Arizona received especially high scores for charter authorization, growth, and operational practices that promote school autonomy, freedom to innovate and teacher freedom. 

This environment has resulted in the state leading the country when it comes to school choice and different approaches to learning, Logan said. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 really neat to see the different paths the schools take when it comes to customizing the education experience for parents and for students here,鈥� Logan said. 鈥淔or example, you have schools that focus on the arts, you have schools that focus on agriculture, you have schools that emphasize dual language, schools that emphasize a classical education. 

鈥淏eing able to have a blend — your academics with something you鈥檙e interested in and passionate about — it really is a winning strategy when it comes to kids’ education.鈥�

Arizona pioneer in school choice 

Arizona was the second state to allow public and private more than 25 years ago. 

Today, 20 percent of Arizona students are enrolled in charter schools. Many successful concepts were homegrown here including BASIS schools that offer rigorous academics, Great Hearts with a curriculum built on a classical liberal arts education, and the newer and growing Prenda Microschool model where students are taught in groups of 5 to 10 in homes and other locations. 

Arizona鈥檚 more than 550 public charter schools make up approximately 28 percent of the state鈥檚 total schools according to the Arizona Charter Schools Association. More than 213,000 Arizona students are enrolled in charter schools.

Arizona also was a pioneer in open enrollment, where students may apply for admission to any district school depending on available classroom space.

The state also provides even more choices for students through the (ESA) program, which is administered by the Arizona Department of Education to provide educational options for qualified Arizona students. By opting out of the public school system, parents can seek a range of alternative educational services, such as private school or home-based education. Students eligible for these services include students living on tribal lands, those with special needs, children of military families and those in failing schools.

Charter schools attractive to business and industry

Logan also believes that school choice has become a great recruiting tool for businesses looking to locate here. 

鈥淓ducation is important for families, and for employees and businesses,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd having the maximum opportunity to choose between a district school or charter school or other choices is a really paramount to Arizona鈥檚聽 economic development strategy.鈥漈o view the Center for Education鈥檚 national rankings and scorecard .

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As the COVID-19 virus impacts 56 million million students across Arizona and the U.S., a national education advocacy group has launched an initiative to promote policies to help students continue to succeed, including creating more small and 鈥渕icro schools.鈥� 

The non-profit Yes Every Kid organization is encouraging lawmakers and education leaders to rethink what will provide parents and teachers more flexibility and options this upcoming school year and beyond, said Becky Hill, the group鈥檚 western regional director.   

鈥淲e want to present information about what great opportunities there are during this time to use these small learning communities that are not only safe but are great for providing an individualized learning experience,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淧andemic or no, it鈥檚 key to make sure every student has a good experience and uses their learning potential.鈥�

COVID-19 Playbook for educational success 

The non-profit has launched the COVID-19 , Opportunity in Crisis, to present ideas and solutions to parents, school leaders and lawmakers that are designed to help students continue to learn despite ongoing disruptions.

Among the recommendations are more funding and opportunities for students to attend smaller schools, micro schools and community organization programs for credit in a  鈥渓earn everywhere鈥� model, Hill said. 

Micro-schools are typically considered small neighborhood schools that enroll fewer than 10 children. They can take place within public and private schools, community organizations like a Boys and Girls club, home settings, and even at employer spaces.   

Also called  鈥減andemic pods,鈥� there has been a surge in parents seeking out or forming their own small schools and pooling money and resources to hire full-time teachers and tutors to come in and work directly with students. 

In Arizona, a leader in school choice, micro schools have been growing in popularity in recent years. The non-profit Black Mothers Forum in Phoenix, for example, helps families form their own pods in partnership with public schools. The Self Development Academy chain of charter schools in the Phoenix region partners with child care facilities to offer more options for families. 

Learn everywhere model 

One of the tenets promoted by the initiative is to make education more flexible to address each student鈥檚 unique needs. For example, a student might take online classes in the morning at home and in the afternoon take music or fine arts classes for credit at a community organization, Hill said. 

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 really important that we create opportunities for learning to happen wherever it is and not limit ourselves to think everything has to happen on a campus or at home alone in the living room,鈥� Hill said.

Arizona leader in innovative options 

Many of the policies recommended by the group already are part of Arizona鈥檚 educational landscape. Gov. Doug Ducey has used the state鈥檚 discretionary funding to bolster innovative educational approaches, Hill said. 

Among the group鈥檚 recommendations are more discretionary dollars for governors to address specific needs in their states, Hill said. This would provide quicker access to funds for families to obtain school supplies and hire tutors and educators to supplement parents who are struggling at home. 

For many states, the biggest challenge is funding, Hill said. The organization is calling on governments, including the federal government, to provide funding to make more options available like quality online instruction and after-school enrichment for students who need it most. That includes funding for families who don鈥檛 have the financial resources to create their own learning pods. 

鈥淲hat we鈥檇 really like to see is our congressional delegations across all states to come together with additional dollars for learning for families,鈥� Hill said. 

Yes Every Kid is an initiative affiliated with , a non-profit funded by Charles Koch to address issues like poverty, education and immigration.

With all the problems facing Americans right now, finding common ground among diverse groups on hot button issues like school funding is one of the organization鈥檚 goals Stand Together CEO Brian Hooks told reporters.

Hooks stated that the group wants to move beyond the 鈥�’us versus them’ framing in K-12.” 

“Let’s clear the decks and the conversation, and let’s focus on what really matters. To my mind, that is, every student, every kid,” Hooks said. “This is framed as private versus public, teacher versus student, parent versus administrator. And that’s not productive. All of those people in their hearts, they want their kids to succeed.”聽

For a complete list of the group鈥檚 recommendations, go to:

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Home to the seventh wonder of the world, rolling expanses of forest-covered slopes, the roaring Colorado River, and the beautiful Sonoran Desert, Arizona is truly a special place. Protecting our natural heritage while building up our economy and creating tens of thousands of new jobs should be an imperative for all Arizona leaders.

The nation鈥檚 largest nuclear plant, , produces more than 32 million megawatt-hours of carbon-free energy every year right here in the Grand Canyon state. Generating clean, abundant power is a model for the nation and commands energy production throughout the Southwest. In fact, this innovative site has for using surplus electricity to generate clean hydrogen gas, which could be used for powering fuel cell cars and the trucks of tomorrow. 

In his experience leading the Arizona State University College Republicans, Joe Pitts has seen firsthand that acting on environmental issues is not partisan. There is support for clean energy and emission-reducing technologies on both sides of the aisle. Arizonans are uniquely positioned to be national leaders in clean energy and conservation efforts.

For example, Arizona leaders reached across the aisle to pass the , which prepares us for future water shortages and clears the way toward further water conservation. Republican Governor Doug Ducey, President Donald Trump, and Arizona鈥檚 Congressional delegation spearheaded the effort, along with the hard work of stakeholders across Arizona. Surprising to many, despite our state鈥檚 population explosion over the last few decades, over the same time. For years, Arizonans have come together on important issues like water management, and the trend that we鈥檝e long seen in our state has been reflected on the national level, breaking through partisan gridlock.

My Republican colleagues in Congress鈥搃ncluding House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy鈥揾ave expressed support of the efforts in the , a realistic climate plan that pledges to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 through innovation, energy investment, and natural solutions.

We Republicans, both in Congress and on the grassroots level, are acting on conservation, environmental protection, and the reduction of CO2 emissions. Not by burdening business, but by encouraging enterprise. Not through heavy-handed federal mandates, but through free market innovation. Not by embracing socialism, but by stimulating private sector investment and expanding economic freedom.

The United States leads the world in innovation. As tens of thousands of American companies innovate our path to the future, America steadily decreases its carbon output. Here in Arizona, we have seen these innovations in the form of new technology start-ups such as , which produces electric trucks and cars and the of renewable energy use.

Through the adoption of an all-of-the-above approach, including harnessing the power of natural gas鈥搘hich is 鈥搕he maintenance of nuclear energy, and carbon sequestration, we can achieve great success in reducing emissions and leading a cleaner world.

Utility companies across our state have announced record investments in new technologies like solar battery storage, which shows the continued growth of clean energy in our state. These investments are possible because private sector innovation continues to crash the cost of new technologies to make them more efficient and cost effective, not because of mandates from Washington.

Furthermore, we must foster a regulatory environment which is conducive to free enterprise and green industry. This includes smart financial incentives such as expanding carbon sequestration tax credits, known as 45Q, that I have championed in the House. This initiative would enhance the value of the credit for critical direct air capture projects, provide stability for investment and expand its availability to more innovators, incentivizing private sector projects to remove more carbon from the atmosphere.

In January, I joined a bipartisan group of congressional leaders to introduce the which creates an economically responsible and technology neutral  credit that will help emerging technologies enter the marketplace, increasing our dominance and competitiveness in the energy sector. And all the way back in early 2019, I introduced the bipartisan , which would put the tracking of air quality into our community members鈥� hands for monitoring the air we breathe. This would create a faster, healthier, and fairer process to reduce bureaucratic red tape and promote safer air quality.

For young activists like Joe, climate is a pressing issue, and leaders must step up and pursue realistic, actionable policy to reduce our emissions. The solution to our environmental challenges is not bigger government nor more federal control over our everyday lives. It involves stimulating American ingenuity, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, and investing in 21^st century energy infrastructure. As the far left fantasizes about socialist pipe dreams, Republicans are rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. Let鈥檚 work together to reduce emissions, create new, high-skilled jobs, and lead the world in a new century of renewable American energy dominance.

Congressman David Schweikert represents Arizona鈥檚 6th District, Joseph Pitts is the Arizona Director for the American Conservation Coalition and a student at Arizona State University鈥檚 Barrett the Honors College.

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When the coronavirus two months ago limited medical practices鈥� ability to perform elective procedures, major health insurers across Arizona had to move quickly to find innovative ways to help providers stay in business and keep patients receiving care.

There is an overwhelming need right now. The American Medical Association that 97 percent of physician practices have experienced a negative financial impact directly or indirectly related to COVID-19. Less than half of primary care clinicians have enough patient volume and cash to stay open another month. 

Meanwhile, of primary care doctors indicate that many providers have had problems securing forgivable loans through the new federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). 

With insurance claims down, major health insurers in Arizona including Arizona Complete Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, and UnitedHealthcare are pouring resources and funding into helping providers and patients. 

Most are incorporating more flexibility for providers, helping them start or expand telemedicine, and providing resources and assistance to help them access PPP loans and financial assistance. They have eliminated and reduced many copayments, given credits on premiums, eliminated many COVID-19 related charges, and made substantial donations to help medically vulnerable populations. 

鈥淭his has been a surreal pandemic from so many factors so we need to make sure we are investing in our health care sector and ensuring that we have viable providers coming out of this process,鈥� explained Monica Coury, vice president of legislative and government affairs for Arizona Complete Health (ACH), a subsidiary of the Centene Corporation that serves Arizonans through Medicare Advantage, Marketplace, AHCCCS and other programs.聽

Innovation required 

Coury said health plan administrators have had to 鈥渢hink outside of the box鈥� to help providers — and patients — survive. 

For example, when Centene learned that some members with complex care needs did not have enough data or minutes on their cell phones to receive telehealth visits, it issued funds to providers to purchase phones or upgrade patients鈥� phones to avoid healthcare crises. 

Here鈥檚 a look at a few of the measures Complete Health and other Arizona insurers are taking to shore up providers and patients during the coronavirus. 

UnitedHealth Group accelerates $2 billion for provider liquidity

UnitedHealth Group announced it is accelerating nearly $2 billion to health care providers to support liquidity needs, initially investing more than $70 million to help communities in need and protect the health care workforce.

This month it also announced it is providing premium credits and discounts worth $1.5 billion to health plan members and employers impacted by the pandemic. For commercial fully insured individual and employer customers, credits ranging from 5 to 20 percent will be applied to premium billings in June.

For a complete list of resources, go to: . 

Cigna emphasizes flexibility 

Cigna Healthcare of Arizona is helping providers a number of ways, including making it easier for hospitals to transfer patients to long-term acute care hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and acute rehabilitation facilities to help manage COVID-19 patients.

Like all insurers, helping providers move to telehealth has been a big emphasis. Telehealth now accounts for approximately 85 percent of Cigna Medical Group visits. Of these, 25 percent are virtual video visits, company officials said.

They are offering billing and reimbursement guidance for providers and free home delivery of up to 90-day supplies for prescription maintenance medications and 24/7 access to pharmacists.

The Cigna Foundation, in partnership with the New York Life Foundation, has launched The Brave of Heart Fund and is contributing an initial $50 million to the fund that provides grants and support to the survivors of frontline healthcare workers who lose their lives fighting COVID-19.

鈥淥ur customers, our employees, and our communities need us now more than ever,鈥� said Courtney Nogas, Cigna spokesperson. 鈥淥ur top priority is the safety and service of our customers, patients, clients, employees and partners. And, Cigna will continue to do our part to support those on the frontlines.鈥�

For a complete list of resources, go to: .

Blue Cross Blue Shield launches prepayment assistance

One of the ways Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (BCBSAZ) is supporting primary care providers during the pandemic is through a new prepayment financial assistance program for providers in the BCBSAZ Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH).

These advances will help BCBSAZ PCMH providers cover monetary shortfalls due to the global health emergency and provide critical funding, so they can continue serving Arizonans in need of medical attention, the company stated. Providers can receive partial prepayment of their estimated annual quality incentive payment. 

For more information about how BCBSAZ is supporting healthcare providers, members and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic, visit:  .

Arizona Complete Health offers PPP loan and telehealth assistance

As health providers move to more virtual patient visits, Arizona Complete Health is providing $5 million to help its federally qualified health centers 鈥渟tand up鈥�  telehealth programs and support in incorporating them into their business models, Coury said.

The company also is providing webinars and other resources to help providers access PPP loans, grants and other financial assistance.

鈥淥ur physician practices and healthcare providers are mostly small businesses just like everybody else and, so, there are multiple funding streams right now to help shore up the healthcare sector,鈥� she said. 

As the economy reopens, they will be faced with a new healthcare model, she said. 

鈥淭his will be something that sticks with us,” Coury said. “What does it look like after we transition out of this situation?  We cannot load up waiting rooms anymore. That’s going to be in the past. We鈥檙e going to have to manage through that and we’re going to have to do that together; payers, providers and policy makers.鈥� For a complete list of Arizona Complete Health resources for providers, visit: .

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This piece was originally published in the Arizona Capitol Times on January 24th. You can find the original piece .

As we embark upon a new decade, it鈥檚 hard to miss the technological advances happening all around us. Arizona in 2020 is a state ripe with investment in cutting-edge technology, one where entrepreneurship is thriving and the breakthroughs of tomorrow are happening right in our own backyard.

Arizona鈥檚 autonomous vehicle sector is a prime example of how our state has positioned itself to be on the leading edge of the future. After all, it鈥檚 where聽The New York Times聽said 鈥渟elf-driving cars go to learn.鈥�

While it鈥檚 easy to imagine a future zipping around the state in driverless cars, what hasn鈥檛 been simple is measuring the actual economic impact of this future for our state. But economist Jim Rounds crunched the numbers and recently released a report for the Arizona Chamber Foundation on the various models and assumptions for Arizona. One thing they all point to? By leading other states, Arizona is poised to reap a disproportionate share of the billions in economic growth and investment this new industry will bring.

Rounds estimates 鈥� conservatively 鈥� that a $6.1 billion investment in autonomous vehicle research and development would lead to over 75,000 new Arizona jobs across the industry itself and in supporting industries by 2026. To put this in perspective, the growth alone in autonomous vehicle-related work in the next few years will employ more than double the number of Arizonans working in state government.

Much of this growth can be attributed to the way Arizona has uniquely positioned itself among the states to provide a welcoming environment to innovators. For example, thanks to an executive order from Gov. Doug Ducey, the Arizona Commerce Authority now houses the Institute of Automated Mobility, a team that bridges government, innovating companies, and higher education institutions to facilitate the safe development of these technologies.

Higher education is actually a critical part of this consortium. By training students for a high-tech industry poised to grow here at home, Arizona鈥檚 colleges and universities are simultaneously meeting the industry鈥檚 demand and retaining Arizona鈥檚 best and brightest.

We are investing in a workforce designed to grow with the autonomous-vehicle industry, positioning our state as the top location for additional investments by companies working in this space.

In fact, Arizona鈥檚 universities are partnering with the firms pioneering this technology to graduate engineers and software developers. That means the students we are investing in at our state universities are staying here, working here, and keeping their economic contributions here in Arizona.

But it鈥檚 not just our universities. Community colleges in Phoenix鈥檚 East Valley and Pima Community College in Tucson have developed training programs in cyber-security and autonomous truck operation that are training Arizonans directly for high-demand jobs in the workforce.

With more Arizonans taking jobs in this promising, high tech field, and companies like Waymo and Intel 鈥� which in 2017 purchased Israel-based autonomous tech firm Mobileye 鈥� expanding their research, development, and manufacturing footprints to support that growth, there is also substantial benefit to the state and local governments in tax collection over the next decade.

If we continue to support the growth of autonomous-vehicle technology in Arizona, it will yield significant resources to state and local governments that can be re-invested in priorities like education and public safety. Rounds estimates that an additional $250-350 million in taxes could be collected by 2026 in autonomous-vehicle sector growth alone, using a conservative approach to modeling the calculations. Those are substantial resources for reinvesting in our state鈥檚 priorities.

Rounds鈥� calculations give us a clear vision for Arizona鈥檚 economic future if we continue on the path of welcoming the forward-thinking industry. It鈥檚 an Arizona with 75,000 more people working in good-paying jobs, an Arizona training our students for the jobs of the future, and an Arizona that鈥檚 reaping the benefits of a growing, successful tax base.

But perhaps more important than any of the economic growth that Arizona will gain by being a leader is the potential impact to road safety we stand to gain. Over 800 people die in fatal car crashes in Arizona each year. Autonomous vehicle technology has the potential to bring that number down dramatically by reducing the human error that is the cause of so many accidents. It鈥檚 why groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the National Safety Council have partnered with Waymo here in Arizona. We owe it to ourselves in Arizona to welcome technologies that have potential to keep our roads safer and save lives.

As this new analysis methodically predicts, Arizona can anticipate a bright, safe, and economically prosperous future if we continue to welcome innovation and resist overregulation.

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