Jorge Luis Garcia says he’s bit worried that he is a Tucson state senator who has little name recognition in the Phoenix area, where most of the state’s votes are found.

Arizona, with its sunny, warm climate has been hailed as the ideal region for algae biomass production. Proponents hope that algae, which can contain up to 60 percent oil, can some day squeeze out a petroleum substitute that could be produced at a price low enough to compete with natural gas.

Many deadlines to use stimulus money fall in 2012. That means the next 18 months offer some guaranteed work for construction crews, lower energy bills for some homeowners and perhaps even a benefit for taxpayers as government buildings become more efficient.

Power One Inc., the nation’s largest manufacturer of renewable energy conversion devices, announced Thursday that it will open a manufacturing facility in Phoenix.

The next Arizona Corporation Commission will determine policies that impact the daily lives of Arizonans perhaps more than most well-known elected offices in the state. Established by the Arizona Constitution, the commission regulates public utilities, corporate filings and securities, and railroad and pipeline safety.

In Arizona, power generated by the sun is the darling of many renewable-energy advocates, solar-power based companies and the governor. There is, however, another less cost-intensive player trying to gain a foothold in the renewable power game: wind.

When the slop is the trough all the pigs will be there. And many were there recently at Tom's Restaurant & Tavern for a panel discussion on renewable energy standards, specifically the 15 percent mandate passed by the Arizona Corporation Commission. Actually, the discussion was more about government subsidies than renewable energy standards; especially with respect to the notion that "everyone knows" these subsidies are needed to promote Arizona's nascent solar industry.

When Congress agreed earlier this year to shell out $3.1 billion in stimulus dollars to help states reduce energy consumption, it expected a major return on its investment. Since the 1970s, every federal dollar sent to states through the U.S. Department of Energy's State Energy Program has produced more than $7 in energy savings - a perfect opportunity for quick stimulus results.