Date: April 24, 2025
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, April 29. Access meeting information here.
Date: April 24, 2025
Arizona's renewable energy sector is booming. With the state's abundant sunshine and growing demand for sustainable energy sources, solar and wind power projects are popping up across the state. But as exciting as this growth is, it also comes with a challenge: how do we ensure there are enough skilled workers to build and maintain these renewable energy projects?
As Arizona pushes forward with its renewable energy goals, the need for a highly skilled workforce in renewable energy construction has never been more crucial. Let's break down why staffing is such an important part of this growth and how specialized workers are the key to the future of renewable energy construction.
The Growing Demand for Renewable Energy in Arizona
Arizona has always been known for its sunshine, but now, it’s also becoming known for its commitment to renewable energy. The state has set ambitious goals for expanding its renewable energy capacity, especially in solar and wind power. From large solar farms in the desert to wind turbine projects across rural Arizona, these initiatives are a major part of the state's economic and environmental future.
This expansion in renewable energy doesn't just mean more energy, it means more construction projects. These projects are creating jobs, building infrastructure, and driving economic growth in the state. But as the demand for renewable energy grows, so does the demand for skilled construction workers to build and maintain these projects. Read more in AZ Big Media.
Date: April 24, 2025
Data centers consume an inordinate amount of electricity, and the Corporation Commission is trying to figure out how to cope with the demand, Axios Pheonix reports.
The big picture: With low energy costs and few natural disasters, the Phoenix metro area has become one of the top data center markets in the US.
- Those buildings house computer equipment for data storage and are critical for companies including Amazon and Google and technologies such as AI.
- Driven by the growth of AI and other technologies, data centers are increasing energy usage not only in Arizona but across the US.
Why it matters: Arizona has enough energy to meet its current needs, but that may not be the case in three to five years, Corporation Commission chair Kevin Thompson told Axios. "That horizon is what I'm concerned about. That's what keeps me up at night," he said.
By the numbers: Arizona data centers could more than double their energy usage by 2030, according to a 2024 report by the Electric Power Research Institute, consuming up to 16.5% of the state's total electricity. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Jobs
HHS 2025 Water/Wastewater Engineering and Construction Internship
Fort Defiance, AZ
Manager, Engineering and Design
Pheonix, AZ
Date: March 28, 2025
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, April 29. Access meeting information here.
Date: March 28, 2025
A bill to ban the use of Chinese-made technology in the state's critical infrastructure passed out of the Arizona House of Representatives.
House Bill 2696 would prohibit state agencies and public utilities from equipping critical infrastructure with Chinese software and other technology manufactured in the country or manufactured by companies controlled by the Chinese government.
Rep. Nick Kupper (R-Surprise) said the legislation is needed to protect Arizona's critical infrastructure in the event the Ucomes into direct conflict with China. "If we do not do something to protect our critical infrastructure now, anytime later might be too late," he said.
The bill defines "critical public infrastructure" as any infrastructure owned by the state or local governments along with systems operated by publicly regulated utilities, such as water, gas and power providers. Telecommunications systems, transportation networks, data storage and emergency services are also covered by the bill.
If passed, the legislation would affect an array of technologies, including wi-fi routers, lidar technology and speed detection systems.
Kupper said he isn't certain how many existing government contracts and systems would be immediately affected if his bill becomes law. "That's going to be part of the thing, is identifying what is problematic and what isn't problematic," Kupper said. Read more at kjzz.org.
Date: March 28, 2025
In April 1925, Arizona's State Highway Department launched a monthly magazine "devoted to the interest of good roads." The 16-page first edition of Arizona Highways included an article explaining the use of expansion joints on bridges, advertisements from companies involved in road construction and a few so-so photos, each showing a section of road.
Arizona Highways kicked off a yearlong centennial celebration, print and digital subscribers around the world are treated each month to award-winning photography and articles showcasing our state's scenery, culture and history. The goal: promoting Arizona as a place to visit and explore.
"We are sincerely indebted to the readers around the world who celebrate this milestone with our dedicated staff and contributors," Publisher Kelly Mero said. "Even after 100 years, there are so many stories yet to tell and so many images still to be captured. As much as we are enjoying this occasion, we can't wait to continue telling Arizona's story in our second century."
A centennial edition coming to newsstands and both metal and digital mailboxes features milestones through the decades, memorable letters from readers and, of course, a celebration of the magazine’s legendary photography.
The edition launches a Hall of Fame with 15 Arizona Highways contributors, including photographer Esther Henderson, the first person to have photos purchased by the magazine as it transitioned to focus on travel and tourism. This list also includes photographer Ansel Adams, artist Ted DeGrazia and current contributor Jack Dykinga, recognized as the dean of Arizona landscape photographers. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Jobs
Manager, Engineering and Design
Phoenix, AZ
City Engineer
Show Low, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: February 28, 2025
NSPE-AZ recently hosted the annual awards luncheon during Engineers Week. More than two dozen attendees celebrated at the event, which highlights and honors the contributions of the engineering profession.
NSPE-AZ President Andy Whisler presided over the ceremony to recognize three members of our community:
- Lisa Dietrich, P.E. – New Professional of the Year
- David Sabers, P.E. – Education Excellence Award
- David Fabiano, P.E. – Lifetime Achievement Recognition
The event also featured an address from Dr. Ram Pendyala, a director and professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University. Pendyala is also the director of the TOMNET University Transportation Center and is a senior Global Futures Scientist.
Thank you to all attendees and our sponsors, including Kennedy Jenks, RMCI, CHC and SUNDT, for helping make this event possible!
Date: February 28, 2025
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 25. Access meeting information here.
Date: February 28, 2025
Governor Katie Hobbs relaunched the Arizona Space Commission, appointing seven leaders from industry, science, and education to help spearhead its efforts.
The Arizona Space Commission has been dormant for the past decade. Last year, the governor signed H.B. 2254 to revive the commission and further promote and expand space, aeronautics, and aviation industry in Arizona. The commission will identify potential projects that would advance Arizona's position in the industry and plan and implement aerospace-related educational opportunities. The Arizona Commerce Authority will support the work of the commission, which is required to develop and publish a strategic plan every two years.
In recent years, Arizona has emerged as a top state in the fast-growing space and aerospace industries, building on its long history of aerospace leadership. The state is number one in the nation for concentration of guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing jobs and in the top five states for aerospace and defense manufacturing employment. With the rise of commercial space flight and reshoring of critical industries, Arizona's opportunities will only grow in the already $540 billion-a-year space economy. In just the past two years the state has seen business expansions from leading space industry companies such as BlackStar Orbital, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and Northrop Grumman. Read more.
Date: February 28, 2025
Arizona's three largest utility providers are eying ways to help meet the state's growing energy needs, and nuclear power appears to be their top choice.
In a written statement, Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP) and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) would work together in seeking out a range of locations, including past sites of coal plants, to potentially build a new nuclear power plant to meet Arizona's fast-growing demand for electricity.
"Energy demand in Arizona is increasing rapidly," said APS president Ted Geisler. "To ensure a reliable and affordable electric supply for our customers, we are committed to maintaining a diverse energy mix. While new nuclear generation would take more than a decade to develop, the planning and exploration of options must begin now. We are partnering with neighboring utilities to assess the feasibility of new nuclear generation, alongside other resources, to meet the state's growing energy needs."
It's no surprise that nuclear power is being considered as a potential solution. Arizona's population growth shows no signs of slowing down, and new tech-centric businesses with high energy demands continue to flock to the state. As summer temperatures rise and last longer, the grid is frequently strained by increased air conditioning use and the growing demand for electric vehicles. Read more on azfamily.com.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Jobs
City Engineer
Mesa, AZ
Transportation Director
Glendale, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: January 25, 2025
Join us for the NSPE-AZ Awards Banquet Luncheon on Thursday, February 20, as we recognize and celebrate some of the best and brightest of the Arizona Engineering community. Registration is open here. We'd love to have you join us!
Date: January 25, 2025
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, January 28. Access meeting information here.
Date: January 25, 2025
The Governor's Office is seeking qualified applicants to serve on its AI Steering Committee, which is part of the Hobbs Administration's initiative to shape the future of artificial intelligence policy and governance in Arizona.
The Governor's Office aims to assemble a diverse and multidisciplinary team of experts from academia, industry, government, nonprofits, and the public. Committee members will play a pivotal role in ensuring responsible AI deployment across Arizona and fostering public-private partnerships in support of this effort.
Ideal candidates will bring expertise in AI technology, policy development, or community engagement, with a demonstrated ability to bridge technical innovation with practical governance solutions. This committee offers a unique opportunity to influence state-level AI policy while promoting transparency, public education, and responsible innovation. The application close date is Friday, January 24, at 11:59 p.m.
Learn more and access the application.
Date: January 25, 2025
From mapping ore to predicting slope behavior and reclaiming land, mining is a rapidly evolving technological industry. Yet planning and operations have not necessarily kept up with the advancements.
With $1.25 million from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, or NIOSH, mining and geological engineering researchers in the University of Arizona (U of A) College of Engineering are boosting their efforts to better align technology and planning for improved safety and productivity.
The award from the institute, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will fund the research of six U of A graduate students for the next five years.
"With this award, we are able to train graduate students in important areas and generate cutting-edge research that not only adds to the body of knowledge, but also contributes to the mining industry," said associate professor Angelina Anani, who is leading the project in partnership with professor Moe Momayez and assistant professor Nathalie Risso.
Increasing production at home
The demand for minerals on which technologies such as laptops and electric vehicles are dependent – copper, lithium and cobalt, for example – is at an all-time high. But according to the national Government Accountability Office, the United States is heavily reliant on foreign countries for its supply. By some estimates, more than 80% of the nation's minerals comes from foreign sources.
A renewed federal focus on American-made products and domestic supply chains is challenging the mining industry to increase productivity while continuing to prioritize worker safety.
These NIOSH-funded projects are geared toward improving the entire lifecycle of a mine – from rock assessment to post-mine land use – fundamentally changing how mines are planned and operated, said Anani.
Read more in A News.
Date: December 18, 2024
Honoring Arizona's engineers, nominations are now open for the NSPE-AZ State awards. Be sure to nominate an engineer in your life across a variety of categories! The deadline for nominations is Friday, January 10. Nominate here!
Date: December 18, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, January 7. Access meeting information here.
Date: December 18, 2024
Arizona's Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) took a step toward importing billions of gallons of water from out of state, but it'll likely be many years before that happens, Axios Phoenix reports.
Why it matters: The Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) projects that demand for water will increase by at least 1.5 million acre-feet — an acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons — by 2060. That demand could hit 100,000-500,000 acre-feet within the next 10-15 years, according to WIFA. WIFA hopes to meet that demand with the water importation project, which could bring in as much as about 163 billion gallons of water annually.
Threat level: The Colorado River basin has endured a "megadrought" for over two decades, the worst the region has experienced in roughly 1,200 years.
The big picture: WIFA has approximately $445 million allocated for long-term water augmentation, with 75% legally designated for out-of-state sources. Read more.
Date: December 18, 2024
Governor Katie Hobbs and the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO) recently announced $1 million in funding for the next phase of the BuildItAZ Apprenticeship Initiative (BuildItAZ), which aims to connect Arizonans with the skills they need for construction and trades jobs.
After the Governor Hobbs launched BuildItAZ in 2023, Arizona saw growth in enrollment of construction and trades apprentices, marking progress toward her administration's goal to double the number of construction and trades registered apprentices by 2026. To continue the efforts, OEO will grant $1 million in federal workforce funds to registered apprenticeship programs to recruit more apprentices, retain apprentices already enrolled, and provide wrap-around services like childcare and transportation.
In early 2025, OEO will seek industry partners to launch and support a BuildItAZ outreach and public information campaign to recruit more apprentices, especially women, into good-paying construction careers. Read more.
Date: December 18, 2024
Northern Arizona is expected to get new bridges with federal taxpayer funding. The Center Square reports that roughly $27.5 million will be spent on four new bridges on Interstate 40, which will directly impact the Navajo Nation communities of Window Rock and Lupton to meet "geometric design standards."
"Through the Federal Highway Administration's Bridge Investment Program, this funding signifies our dedication to modernizing the interchanges at Navajo Nation Route 12 (Window Rock) and Grant Road (Lupton)," the Navajo Nation Department of Transportation said in a statement.
"This ensures the development function as crucial thoroughfares for our Navajo residents and travelers. By replacing the four bridges to meet current design standards, we improve the flow of vehicles and ideas, while prioritizing the safety of pedestrians and resilience against seasonal flooding," the department added.
The funding is part of the Bridge Investment Program allocated in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. According to the Federal Highway Administration, $635 million was doled out in 2024 for 22 different efforts across 19 states, bumping up the grant program's total to $930 million, as there were also grants won in 2022 nationwide.
Read more.
Date: November 21, 2024
Honoring Arizona's engineers, nominations are now open for the NSPE-AZ State awards. Be sure to nominate an engineer in your life across a variety of categories! The deadline for nominations is Friday, January 10. Nominate here!
Date: November 21, 2024
Governor Katie Hobbs recently announced the launch of a semiconductor-focused Future48 Workforce Accelerator at GateWay Community College in Phoenix. Once complete, the training facility will offer customized, hands-on training in support of the state's rapidly expanding semiconductor industry. It will feature state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment and connect Arizonans to good-paying jobs in growing high-tech industries.
The semiconductor training facility is supported by a $13 million investment from the Arizona Commerce Authority, $5 million from the Governor's Office to support the overall effort and provide wraparound support to students including childcare and transportation, and $4.5 million in federal appropriations led by US Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema that will support equipment acquisition and curriculum development.
The facility will feature a full-size mock clean room, providing students with firsthand experience across 11 customizable modular stations. Students will learn the basics of semiconductor processing including cleaning, probing, photolithography, and automated handling while offering training in maintenance, programming, and integration techniques involving robotic applications and industry devices. Read more.
Date: November 21, 2024
Arizona will receive $60.2 million in federal taxpayer dollars for four railroad infrastructure projects throughout the state, The Center Square reports.
One of the projects is $3.3 million toward making the Grand Canyon Railway's train go from running on diesel to "zero-emission battery-electric" system. In addition the Flagstaff Amtrak station was granted nearly $5 million for making it easier for those with disabilities to board trains, particularly building a new platform on the station's south side.
"Arizona's railroads are crucial to creating jobs, moving goods and connecting our communities," Senator Mark Kelly said in a statement. "This investment will make sure our rail infrastructure is safer, more efficient, and better prepared for the future. By strengthening our railroads, we're enhancing safety for Arizonans and boosting economic growth."
The hefty price tag on the projects is for railway efficiency in northwestern Arizona for Amtrak with $30 million, and the Arizona Eastern Railway Company is receiving nearly $22 million for constructing 34 miles of track and numerous other improvements. For the pricer projects, Amtrak and BNSF are matching 20% and the Arizona Eastern Railway Company is matching 30%, according to a news release.
The funds come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program through the Federal Railroad Administration. Read more.
Date: November 21, 2024
North Carolina-based renewables developer Strata Clean Energy has secured a 20-year tolling agreement which will see utility Arizona Public Service (APS) charge and discharge electricity from a Strata 100 MW/400 MWh BESS near Avondale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, PV Magazine reports.
The White Tank Energy Storage project, awarded a contract under APS' call for 700 MW of clean energy resources in June 2023, is expected to be complete by April 2027.
Announcing the tolling agreement on November 12, 2024, Strata said it had a 7 GWh energy storage pipeline in Arizona, of which 1.6 GWh is under construction as part of a wider 22 GWh under-development storage pipeline.
Date: November 21, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 3. Access meeting information here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Job
Senior Development Engineer
Pheonix, AZ
Date: October 17, 2024
Ørsted and Salt River Project (SRP) celebrated the official commencement of the Eleven Mile Solar Center, a 300-MW solar project and 300-MW/1,200-MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Pinal County, Solar Power World reports.
The project is part of Ørsted's $20 billion dollar investment in building out American energy generation. Eleven Mile Solar Center is SRP's largest co-located solar and BESS project, providing power to businesses, homes and Meta's data center in Mesa, Arizona.
"Solar energy paired with battery energy storage will be critical to the reliable delivery of power as the demand for electricity grows," said David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at Ørsted. "Arizona has one of the highest growth rates of electricity in the country due to the surge in data centers and the reshoring of American manufacturing. With our first project in Arizona now complete, we're thrilled to help meet the growing demand of the state and region with reliable, domestic energy."
To celebrate the economic benefits the project brings to the local community and the significant clean power it is contributing to Arizona, Ørsted hosted a celebration attended by US suppliers, SRP, community members and local and state elected officials at Eleven Mile's O&M facility. Read more.
Date: October 17, 2024
The City of Glendale is receiving $300,000 in taxpayer dollars for a water treatment plant renovation, The Center Square reports. The funds are meant for two new chillers at the city's plant as part of the Industrial Training and Assessment Centers Implementation Grant Program.
"These kinds of investments are exactly what we need to modernize our energy infrastructure and secure Arizona's water future," US Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona said in a news release. "These federal resources will help local facilities optimize their energy usage and bring down costs for Arizonans."
Like many grants headed toward local government, the money was allocated through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021.
According to the news release, $80 million in the law went to the ITAC grant program. The Department of Energy's website said that the maximum amount for the grant is $300,000, which is what the city was awarded, and it's intended to help manufacturers. Read more.
Date: October 17, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, October 29. Access meeting information here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Jobs
Project Manager – Flood Control
Phoenix, AZ
Deputy Planning & Development Director – Inspections Division
Phoenix, AZ
Date: September 26, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, September 24 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). Access meeting information here.
Date: September 26, 2024
The Maricopa County Air Quality Department is being allocated $15 million in federal taxpayer dollars for electric vehicle charging stations that will be publicly available, The Center Square reports.
The funds are coming through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, specifically the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. Proponents of the award say that it a greater emphasis on electric vehicles will help improve air quality efforts.
Maricopa County in particular in under tight air quality standards from government regulators as it is considered a "nonattainment" area, according to the Environmental Protection Agency as of last month. The stations are expected to be at places where there are a minimum of 50 workers and are part of the Maricopa County Travel Reduction Program, which started in 1989, according to the county.
In total, the program was granted $521 million for an electric vehicle charging network nationwide. According to a news release, the funding was spent across 29 states and marked a "deployment" of over nine thousand charging stations. Read more.
Date: September 26, 2024
Maricopa County voters will decide whether to extend a half-cent sales tax for transportation projects in November and a bipartisan campaign is spending $3 million to ensure they vote "yes."
Connect Maricopa, a campaign that launched earlier this year, has amassed a sizable war chest and endorsements from groups across the political spectrum to ensure the passage of Proposition 479. The sales tax, which was originally approved in 1985, would be extended for 20 years if the proposition passes and would fund a variety of infrastructure projects.
Polling done by Noble Predictive Insights in August indicated that more than 60% of Maricopa County voters support extending the tax, but the team behind Connect Maricopa isn't taking chances.
"We're not taking anything for granted, because we know there's a lot of things happening in the political environment," said Lorna Romero Ferguson, a spokesperson for the campaign.
That $3 million warchest is being put toward digital, mail and TV ads to ensure voters don’t forget about Prop. 479 when combing through Maricopa County's two-page ballot. According to Romero Ferguson, it doesn’t seem like a formal opposition campaign will be waged against the measure. Read more in the Arizona Capitol Times.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Jobs
Transportation Forensic Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Superintendent, Intelligent Transportation Systems
Glendale, AZ
Date: August 22, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, August 27 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). Access meeting information here.
Date: August 22, 2024
On August 5, Governor Katie Hobbs announced the approval of Volume II of Arizona's application for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. This officially unlocks the $993 million dollars in funding, which will be utilized to connect every Arizonan to reliable internet services. The approval of the application comes after over a year of stakeholder engagement, public input, and statewide strategizing to ensure the funds are used equitably and efficiently.
"Broadband is the thread that connects all of us, and with this funding we are going to make sure our networks are accessible, reliable, and affordable for every Arizonan," said Governor Hobbs. "Today's announcement represents a critical next step that will lead to new jobs, stronger communities, and better quality of life. We are going to continue working day in and day out to ensure these funds help create a thriving Arizona for everyone." Learn more.
Date: August 22, 2024
Attorney General Kris Mayes is asking for more research on the Pinyon Plain Mine's environmental impact after the transportation of two uranium ore trucks through the Navajo Nation last month caused a stir between the mine's operator and tribal leadership.
The "supplemental Environmental Impact Study" would be conducted by the United States Forest Service if it agrees, The Center Square reports.The mine is located in northern Arizona, and the ore gets driven to a mill in Utah.
"The most recent environmental impact study on this mine is nearly four decades old and relies on outdated data," Mayes said in a statement. Her letter specifically cited concerns about groundwater being negatively impacted.
"With scientific advancements in the 21st century and new insights into aquifer connectivity, it is critical that the US Forest Service conduct a supplemental study for the Pinyon Plain Mine. We must protect the water supplies that sustain the Havasupai Tribe and other communities in Northern Arizona. The risks are too great to ignore, and the consequences of inaction could be devastating for this region's people, wildlife, and cultural heritage," her statement continued.
However, Energy Fuels, the company who runs the mine, said it is confident in the information that's currently being used. Read more.
Date: August 22, 2024
Arizona's highways have existed almost since statehood in 1912, but the agency overseeing them, the Arizona Department of Transportation, marked its 50th anniversary.
It's all because state lawmakers, facing a booming population and accelerating transportation needs, decided to consolidate the Arizona Highway Department and Arizona Aeronautics Department as of July 1974. Since then, ADOT employees throughout the state have expanded the state's transportation infrastructure, implemented new technologies and innovations, and provided safer and more efficient ways to keep Arizona travelers moving safely.
Governor Katie Hobbs marked this milestone with a letter to ADOT staff highlighting the agency's accomplishments and innovations, including not just highways, but the AZ511 traveler information system and AZMVDNow.gov, the online portal through which Motor Vehicle Division customers can conduct dozens of transactions.
"Most importantly, it is ADOT's dedicated employees, past, present and future, who shape our state's transportation system through public service and leadership that ensures Arizona families make it to their destinations safely," Governor Hobbs said.
When ADOT was created, there were approximately 5,800 miles of state highway and the interstate system in Arizona was 86% complete. Since then, ADOT has added more than 1,100 miles to the state's transportation system.
"Our state is more connected than ever," ADOT Director Jennifer Toth said. "ADOT employees have worked hard over the decades to expand and improve Arizona's transportation system. Because of that, people can safely travel throughout our state and businesses can grow." Read more on ConstructionEquipmentGuide.com.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Jobs
Project Manager – Capital Projects
Phoenix, AZ
Assistant General Manager
Mohave, AZ
Date: July 30, 2024
Andy Whisler, President/House of Delegates Representative
Kyle Cole, President-Elect
David Janover, Treasurer/Membership Chair
Michaela Rempkowski, First Vice President
Kimberly Carroll, Second Vice President
Frederick Tack, Past President
Justan Rice, Executive Director
Amerigo Berdeski, Foundation Administrator
Farah Alkerwy, Young Professional & Student Engagement Chair
Ernest Villicana, Mentoring Chair
*Vacant, Secretary
Date: July 30, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, August 27 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). Access meeting information here.
Date: July 30, 2024
A recent $15 million federal grant could drive more private, transportation-related investment throughout New Mexico and Arizona, Pheonix Business Journal reports.
The grant was awarded to Bernalillo County, which encompasses Albuquerque, along with other partners to complete infrastructure improvements along I-40. The interstate cuts through Flagstaff and Kingman in Arizona, while also continuing west into California.
The US Department of Transportation awarded the county a $15 million grant through its Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity, or RAISE, program in early July. Funding for the federal program comes through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Those grant dollars will support the I-40 Tradeport Corridor, or I40TPC — a public-private development project to build out more sustainable transportation infrastructure along an 805-mile stretch of Interstate 40 from the Port of Los Angeles to Albuquerque.
Partners in I40TPC include Bernalillo County, the project's public sector coordinator and fiscal agent, Sandoval County and the Village of Los Lunas in New Mexico, the cities of Winslow and Kingman in Arizona, the states of New Mexico and Arizona and several education institutions in the two states including the University of New Mexico and Mohave Community College. Read more.
Date: July 30, 2024
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes wants the Federal Emergency Management Agency to place a higher priority on wildfires and high temperatures, The Center Square reports.
Mayes sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell and FEMA Chief Counsel Adrian Sevier co-signed by 13 other attorneys general around the country to push for "extreme heat and wildfire smoke events" to be considered allowable reasons for a disaster declaration, citing the Stafford Act. Specifically, they want wildfire smoke incidents to qualify for th Fire Management Assistance Grant. The letter is meant to show they're proponents of a new rulemaking petition on the topic.
"Extreme heat and wildfire smoke events are devastating because of their severe impact on public health and the environment, yet they are not currently recognized as major disasters by FEMA," Mayes said in a recent statement. "Updating FEMA's regulations to include these events will provide much-needed resources and help us better protect our residents." Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Jobs
Light Rail Engineer
Pheonix, AZ
Assistant Traffic Operations Manager
Scottsdale, AZ
Date: June 29, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration continuation was included in HB2091 (bill to continue the Registrar of Contractors) on June 14, 2024. Governor Katie Hobbs signed the bill on June 18. The bill continues the board for six years and changes the board's statutes.
Every agency 'sunsets' and is only continued after the agency goes through an audit (either a self audit or through the auditor general) and a bill is sponsored to continue the agency. The Board of Technical Registration was last continued in 2016 for eight years. Read more.
Date: June 29, 2024
Governor Katie Hobbs recently signed a slate of water bills that facilitate responsible, sustainable economic growth while protecting groundwater supplies that millions of Arizonans rely upon.
SB 1081 exemption area; assured water supply creates a pathway for agricultural water users and the City of Buckeye to collaborate in utilizing renewable, sustainable surface water and recycled water sources for future development, reducing the reliance on groundwater pumping to protect aquifers in the West Valley.
SB 1181 groundwater replenishment; member lands; areas provides a smooth transition for communities and water providers who are taking steps to achieve the sustainability of a 100-year Assured Water Supply Designation, protecting ratepayers and enabling continued investments in critical infrastructure and renewable water supplies.
SB 1242 water conservation grant fund; purpose Promotes access to backup water supplies in the Harquahala groundwater basin that can be used to support the water portfolios in Arizona's metropolitan areas, and offset groundwater pumping in the Active Management Areas.
These three bills are complementary to the recommendations from the Governor's Water Policy Council, which focused on developing tools and pathways for communities to transition to alternative water supplies and achieve the security of a 100-year Assured Water Supply. Read more.
Date: June 29, 2024
The US Department of Energy (DOE)-led Clean Energy Education & Empowerment (C3E) initiative recently announced that Arizona State University (ASU) is joining the C3E Initiative as a partnering university.
The Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at ASU joins the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative (MITEI) and the Stanford Precourt Institute for Energy as the third university to work with DOE to increase the participation, leadership, and success of women in clean energy.
"DOE is excited to bring ASU on board as we continue our commitment to enrich the talent pool and help shape a robust and sustainable clean energy future," said Maria T. Vargas, lead C3E ambassador and senior program advisor. "Our collaboration with ASU will further broaden the reach and representation of the C3E initiative and help further promote women's leadership in the energy sector." Read more.
Date: June 29, 2024
Recurrent Energy has announced a significant milestone by securing $513 million in project financing for the Papago Storage project. Located in Maricopa County, Papago Storage will become the largest energy storage project in the state. This landmark project will hold a 20-year tolling agreement with Arizona Public Service Company, Environment + Energy Leader reports.
The 1,200 MWh Papago Storage project is set to commence construction in the third quarter of 2024, with commercial operations expected to begin by the second quarter of 2025. Once operational, Papago Storage will dispatch enough power to serve approximately 244,000 homes for four hours daily. This capability will significantly enhance Arizona's renewable energy infrastructure, supporting the state's rapid economic growth and transition to sustainable energy sources. Recurrent Energy will retain ownership and operational responsibilities for Papago Storage, which is anticipated to create 200 jobs during construction.
Ismael Guerrero, CEO of Recurrent Energy, reflected on the project's journey, "When we began developing Papago Storage in 2016, the Arizona storage market was in its infancy. Today, Arizona is one of the fastest-growing markets for energy storage in the United States. We are thrilled to see nearly a decade of planning culminate in the financing of what will be the largest energy storage project in Arizona." Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
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Featured Job
Traffic Engineering and Operations Manager
Scottsdale, AZ
Date: May 20, 2024
Millions of federal taxpayer dollars will be headed toward Arizona for getting rid of lead pipes. $28.65 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is intended to help "identify and replace" the pipes in the state, as the Environmental Protection Agency considers any quantity of lead in water people drink to be potentially dangerous, The Center Square reports.
"Resources for lead service line replacement are already being used in large and small communities across the state," Chuck Podolak, director of the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority of Arizona said in a statement last week.
"We are grateful for the continued infusion of critical funding and the partnerships it has facilitated between WIFA and Arizona's Department of Environmental Quality, which is utilizing funds to assist small water systems in identifying where harmful lead service lines might exist in their communities," Podolak added.
A news release from the EPA said that the goal is to swap out 1.7 million lead pipes throughout the United States. Read more.
Date: May 20, 2024
Governor Hobbs recently announced that more than $650,000 in grant awards were awarded to five construction and trades registered apprenticeship programs. This round is the first phase of the governor's BuildItAZ Apprenticeship Initiative to advance the state's skilled construction workforce. The initiative aims to double the number of construction trades registered apprentices by 2026 to support Arizona's growing economy, according to a news release.
"From electricians to heavy equipment operators and more, Arizona needs trades and craftspeople to support our thriving economy," said Governor Katie Hobbs. "At the same time, we are opening paths to opportunity for workers in every corner of our state by eliminating barriers to effective training programs. With this initial investment and future investments, we expect to meet the demands of new industries and give every Arizonan a chance at a good-paying job."
"These grants and partnerships with high quality registered apprenticeship programs will offer financial assistance for first-year tuition, books and more for roughly 250 new apprentices in the next year who will be earning while learning in a high growth and well paying job in the building trades," said Office of Economic Opportunity CEO Carlos Contreras, the state agency leading the implementation of BuildItAZ.
The BuildItAZ Apprenticeship Initiative first round grantees are the Arizona Building Trades and Council, the Phoenix Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program, Rummel Construction, the Laborers Training and Retraining Trust of Arizona, and the Tucson Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program.
Date: May 20, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, May 21 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). Access meeting information here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Jobs
Structural Engineer
Tempe, AZ
Electrical Systems Operations Manager
Maricopa, AZ
Date: April 22, 2024
Congratulations to the student team that will represent Arizona during the 2024 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS Competition finals, May 11-14 in Washington, DC. The event is a celebration of the incredible mathletes, educators, volunteers, alumni, and education advocates who make MATHCOUNTS possible. The thrilling Countdown Round will take place on May 13 and is open to the public (registration required). Access information about the mathletes and competition events here.
Arizona MATHCOUNTS Team
Quentin Hill (7th grade) - Basis Tucson North - Tucson, AZ
Varyan Jainn (8th grade) - Basis Chandler - Gilbert, AZ
Puranjay Madupu (6th grade) - Basha Accelerated Middle School - Chandler, AZ
Bowen Shan (6th grade) - Basis Chandler – Chandler, AZ
Suresh Rajaram (Coach) – Basis Chandler – Chandler, AZ
Date: April 22, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, April 23 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). Access meeting information here.
Date: April 22, 2024
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Arizona Department of Transportation are proposing to renew an agreement through which ADOT assumes FHWA's authority for approval of federal environmental review documents for proposed projects.
A draft Memorandum of Understanding that would continue this agreement, known as NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) Assignment, has been posted to the Federal Register and is available for comment until May 10, according to a news release.
The agreement, established in 2019, allows a state to apply for and assume decision-making and legal responsibility for meeting NEPA requirements and other federal environmental laws otherwise administered by FHWA for projects. Congress established the program to help streamline environmental reviews for federally funded highway projects. Arizona is among eight states, including California and Texas, that currently have this authority. NEPA requirements apply to all projects that use federal funds.
To learn more about NEPA Assignment, review the draft Memorandum of Understanding for NEPA Assignment and find out how to submit comments to FHWA, by visiting ADOT's NEPA Assignment webpage.
Date: April 22, 2024
Alyssa Ryan, an assistant professor of civil and architectural engineering and mechanics, in the University of Arizona College of Engineering, is leading a national study to identify disparities in traffic safety for all transportation users, including drivers, bicyclists and walkers, University of Arizona News reports.
"Transportation engineering is very focused on people and impacting society and how people interact with the world," said Ryan. "If you don't have transportation, you can't do anything."
With a $467,000 award from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety and building on Ryan's previous research, the project aims to identify populations most at risk for crash injuries given factors such as location, race, sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic status.
"In our quest to ensure safe mobility for all communities," said Rebecca Steinbach, senior researcher at the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, "we need a better understanding of the extent of disparities, contributing factors and countermeasures to mitigate disparities where they exist. The rigorous approach of this project will help identify meaningful solutions that can be applied by a variety of professionals to improve equity in traffic safety."
National resources, such as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021, are providing billions of dollars to states for equitable transportation improvements, and the researchers plan to take their findings and recommendations to officials in every state. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Jobs
Deputy Chief, Design and Construction
Phoenix, AZ
Transportation Senior Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Date: March 29, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, April 23 (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.). Access meeting information here.
Date: March 29, 2024
Governor Katie Hobbs and Governor's Office of Resiliency Director Maren Mahoney announced the state's first Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan following months of consultation and collaboration with a variety of stakeholders across industries and jurisdictions. The plan underscores the need for action and lays out both near and long-term recommendations to address extreme heat in Arizona, according to a news release.
"It's critical that Arizona build a sustainable and resilient state," said Governor's Office of Resiliency Director Maren Mahoney. "I'm proud to lead this effort across state agencies and in partnership with various sectors, including health and human service providers, the business community, and scientific experts to protect everyday Arizonans and ensure we have the tools we need. Together, I know we can tackle the challenges that lay ahead of us and build a thriving state."
Additionally, Governor Hobbs announced the creation of the nation's first statewide Chief Heat Officer position, a key recommendation in the Extreme Heat Preparedness Plan. The plan also identifies the historically unequal allocation of federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) dollars to Arizona. Read more.
Date: March 29, 2024
President Joe Biden and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo recently announced up to $8.5 billion in federal grant funds from the CHIPS and Science Act will go toward Intel's semiconductor operations in Chandler, Arizona, The Center Square reports.
The CHIPS and Sciences Act, signed into law by Biden in 2022, is seen as a way to diversify the semiconductor industry beyond Taiwan, as the island nation continues to have tense relations with China. However, numerous semiconductor projects in the United States face hurdles with timelines, Nikkei Asia reported.
"It's a smart investment," Biden said, later describing the developments as a semiconductor "comeback" to the United States. "I've never been more optimistic about our future," Biden later said.
Some lawmakers have expressed excitement for the funding, as it will be distributed to Intel's efforts in Arizona, as well as Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon.
"Arizona is the epicenter of semiconductor manufacturing growth in the United States of America. No state in the country is gonna better benefit from the CHIPS and Science Act than Arizona," Congressman Greg Stanton told The Center Square. Read more.
Date: March 29, 2024
Google announced a new agreement with Arizona-based water and electricity provider Salt River Project (SRP) to bring more than 430 MW of carbon-free energy capacity to the Arizona grid, and supporting the company’s clean energy goals, ESG Today reports.
Google parent Alphabet announced a 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) ambition in 2020, aiming to run its entire business on carbon-free energy by 2030, matching electricity demand with CFE supply every hour of every day, in every region where the company operates. According to the company, the agreement will enable it to reach at least 80% CFE in its Arizona operations by 2026.
The new agreement follows the launch by Google of its first Arizona data center in Mesa, which the company expects will be operational in 2025. The new agreement includes wind power and solar energy as well as battery storage from three facilities operated by NextEra Energy Resources on SRP's power grid, including the Sonoran Solar Energy Center, Storey Energy Center and Babbitt Ranch Energy Center. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Jobs
Transportation Engineer Senior
Pheonix, AZ
Electrical Systems Operations Manager
Maricopa, AZ
Date: February 23, 2024
NSPE-AZ will host an in-person presentation – Maximize Your Mentoring Experience – on Tuesday, February 27, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the ACEC Arizona office (532 W McDowell Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85003). The $15 registration fee includes lunch.
Nicolai Oliden, P.E., owner at engineeringYOU and the highways group lead at Jacobs, is the featured speaker. In this presentation, he will discuss the benefits of mentoring for both mentor and mentee, who is responsible for the relationship, and how to maximize your time together. This is an opportunity for open discussion and questions will also be provided.
Register Today!
Date: February 23, 2024
NCEES is in the process of assembling panels of licensed structural engineers and licensed professional engineers to participate in a series of two-day meetings to determine the cut score, or establish the pass point, for the 2024 Principles and Practice of Structural Engineering exam. This process requires a cross-section of engineers from various employment positions and technical specialties. NCEES asks that you consider volunteering to assist with this important work. Access more information here.
Date: February 23, 2024
Two years after killing off ambitious new state clean-energy standards, Arizona utility regulators are looking to repeal the state's existing renewable-energy and energy-efficiency rules altogether, tuscon.com reports.
The Arizona Corporation Commission voted to instruct its staff to draft rules that would repeal the state's Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff, which was adopted in 2006 and requires state-regulated electric utilities including Tucson Electric Power to generate 15% of their energy from renewable resources by 2025.
Along a 4-1 party line vote, the measure approved by the commission's Republican majority also would move toward repealing energy-efficiency rules adopted in 2010 that require electric and gas utilities to achieve 22% energy savings by 2020.
The ACC vote starts a hearing process expected to last into next year that will include stakeholder and public comment. Commissioners leading the effort say the renewable-energy and efficiency standards are too costly to ratepayers. Read more.
Date: February 23, 2024
For the first time in the United States, a tribe in Arizona is building a solar farm over an irrigation canal to produce clean energy and save water at a time of unrelenting drought, wbur.org reports.
The Gila River Indian Community has broken ground on a project to put solar panels over nearly 3,000 feet of the Casa Blanca canal south of Phoenix. It's one phase of a pilot project designed to eventually help the tribe reach its goal of using 100% renewable power.
The idea is modeled after a similar project in India, says David DeJong, director of the Pima-Maricopa Irrigation Project. "Nobody's ever done this before," he says.
DeJong says money from the Inflation Reduction Act funded the solar farm, and it will eventually produce enough electricity to power several thousand homes. Putting the panels over the irrigation canal will also cast a shadow on the water to prevent evaporation. Read more.
Date: February 23, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on February 27. Access meeting information here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
Featured Job
Deputy Director, Transportation
Glendale, AZ
Date: January 19, 2024
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on January 30. Access meeting information here.
Date: January 19, 2024
Arizona's Water Infrastructure Finance Authority is not pleased with Governor Katie Hobbs' budget proposal. The proposal suggests $33 million for the state's Long-Term Water Augmentation Fund, as documents from the government's office suggest that it would "continue investments in long-term water supply development initiatives for the state."
Water augmentation has to do with protecting and enhancing water resources to help consumers, according to Arizona State University. However, WIFA expressed its concern with the amount proposed, which was lower than it anticipated, and is asking the legislature to shoot it down. WIFA is defined as "an independent state authority" that helps decide funding for water-related projects in Arizona, according to its website. Read the full The Center Square article.
Date: January 19, 2024
Meta has signed a new renewable energy deal in Arizona. The social network company this week announced its Mesa data center will soon be supported by new solar energy from Salt River Project (SRP) through a contract with Ørsted, Data Center Dynamics reports.
Under the contract, Meta will receive the majority of the output of Ørsted's Eleven Mile Solar Center, a 300MW solar farm and 300MW four-hour battery energy storage system currently under construction in Pinal County, Arizona.
Once online in 2024, Meta said this will be the largest solar-plus-battery project on SRP's power grid. Any energy not needed by the Meta data center will be available to SRP's customer base.
"We are proud to partner with SRP to bring new solar energy to the grid. Access to renewable energy and a strong, reliable grid was an important part of our decision to build in Mesa," said Urvi Parekh, Meta's head of renewable energy. Read more.
Date: January 19, 2024
For the fourth consecutive year, Arizonans have made their position on climate action clear: they want more renewable energy and pollution-free vehicle options, and they want policymakers to move on them quickly, according to the latest American Lung Association poll results.
The annual poll (conducted by Global Strategy Group) surveyed voters from across the state on clean air and climate action, with findings this year showing the highest level of concern to date among respondents, the Arizona Capitol Times reports. An overwhelming majority of voters surveyed said that climate change (80%) and air pollution (83%) are serious problems, and a notable increase of voters (71%) believe that climate change is already causing serious negative impacts on the state, compared to 64% the year prior.
These findings should come as no surprise, as Maricopa County just experienced its hottest and driest summer on record. Such extreme weather conditions, coupled with Arizona having some of the worst air pollution in the US, creates the perfect storm for heightened respiratory and cardiovascular concerns, such as increased asthma attacks, worsened COPD, and in extreme cases, premature death.
Read more.
Date: December 20, 2023
President: Frederick Tack., P.E., BC. WRE
President-elect: Andrew Whisler, P.E.
Secretary: Halley Keating, P.E.
Treasurer: vacant
YP & Student Engagement Chair: Farah Alkerwy
Mentoring: Ernest Villicana
Vice President: Kim Carroll, P.E.
Second Vice President & Membership Chair: David Janover, P.E.
Past President: Michaela Rempkowski, P.E.
Executive Director: Justan Rice
Foundation Administration: Amerigo Berdesk
Date: December 20, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on January 5, 2024. Access meeting information here.
Date: December 20, 2023
The first federal funds have been allocated for reestablishing passenger rail service between Phoenix and Tucson, US Rep. Greg Stanton announced on December 5, KTAR News reports.
The Arizona Department of Transportation was awarded $500,000 to help cover the costs of planning an Amtrak line between the state's two largest cities, Stanton said in a press release.
Amtrak also was awarded $500,000 to make improvements on its Sunset Limited line, which runs through Arizona but bypasses Phoenix, the nation's largest city without intercity passenger train service. The grant comes from the Federal Railroad Administration Corridor Identification and Development program, which was established through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Read more.
Date: December 20, 2023
Arizona State University (ASU) and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have agreed to expand their joint efforts in clean energy research for the next five years. The agreement establishes a framework for both institutions to develop low-carbon processes for the energy and manufacturing sectors.
One joint project works to improve and decarbonize methods to extract critical minerals needed for renewable energy generation, energy storage and high-tech electronics. Another effort will develop solutions to electrify process heating, a major pathway to decarbonizing heavy manufacturing.
Researchers from INL and ASU have previously collaborated on efforts ranging from solar thermochemical hydrogen production to making congested electrical transmission lines more efficient. The new document formalizes the parties’ interest in developing and improving applied and advanced energy technologies and infrastructure.
Possible fields of research listed in the agreement include cybersecurity, national security, advanced manufacturing, electrification, decarbonization, critical minerals and materials, power grid management and stability, electrical energy storage, thermal energy storage and conversion, microelectronics research, analytical chemistry, and materials science and engineering. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Transportation Engineer Senior
Pheonix, AZ
Principal Engineer – Power Delivery
Tempe, AZ
Date: November 16, 2023
The Arizona Commerce Authority has awarded the University of Arizona College of Engineering $35.5 million in funding to expand a facility that supports manufacturing and research efforts involving semiconductors, computer chips, optical devices, and quantum computing systems.
The cleanroom facility is known as the Micro/Nano Fabrication Center, or MNFC. The funding will also support expansion of training and educational modules to ensure that the state of Arizona will have the workforce needed to meet increasing demand in an industry of national importance.
"The Arizona Commerce Authority's investment will help make Arizona a national leader in micro- and nano-fabrication," said David W. Hahn, the Craig M. Berge Dean of the College of Engineering. "The benefits extend far beyond the University of Arizona to our many partner institutions and to the state's workforce, and they extend beyond today's technologies to the light-based and quantum circuits we will employ in the future."
The funds are part of the authority's $100 million commitment announced last year to beef up semiconductor and microelectronics development in the state, increase technological development and create a workforce to support these advanced fabrication industries.
"The MNFC expansion furthers Arizona's semiconductor workforce, supporting the work of students, faculty and industry leaders," said Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. "We're proud to support the University of Arizona with the expansion of this state-of-the-art center, which will serve as a key resource to drive further workforce development and innovation throughout Arizona." Read more.
Date: November 16, 2023
The McNeal Solar Power and Battery Storage Project was just completed by Silicon Ranch and Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC) in McNeal, Arizona. The solar power farm has a capacity of 20 MW and the battery electricity storage system capacity is 20 MW/80 MWh. The new solar and energy storage will provide power service to about 3,000 households in southeastern Arizona.
Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative is Arizona's largest electric cooperative and has over 59,000 power meters and 161 employees. Tennessee-based Silicon Ranch is a provider of renewable energy, carbon, and battery storage systems. Currently, Arizona has enough solar power installed to power a little over one million homes.
Rob Hamilton, Silicon Ranch's Director of Corporate Communications, answered some questions about the McNeal project for CleanTechnica. Read more.
Date: November 16, 2023
Republican Rep. David Schweikert and Democratic Rep. Greg Stanton passed a bill in the United States House of Representatives to allow for more hydropower facilities to be potentially built in the Salt River reservoirs.
House Bill 1607, if passed into law, would allow the Salt River Project to look into how they can expand pumped storage for hydroelectricity, The Center Square reports. Specifically, it would move roughly 17,000 acres of land from the control of the US Forest Service and place it under the purview of the US Bureau of Reclamation, which SRP is a project of, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
"To try to get this visually: Picture a series of lakes that are our water reservoirs for the Phoenix area. And then these cliffs, that are just tremendously high, it's a very impressive area, and the concept of using gravity as a battery," Schweikert explained on the House floor.
"It actually allows us to take care of something that's somewhat unique for us in the desert southwest, and that is the solar power we produce," he added.
On November 6, the bill passed 384-1, with 47 lawmakers voting present. Read more.
Date: November 16, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 5. Access meeting information here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Civil Engineer III – Street Transportation Department
Phoenix, AZ
Senior Resident Engineer
Yuma, AZ
Date: October 19, 2023
Arizona lawmakers are hoping the state becomes a pioneer in establishing necessary infrastructure to accommodate flying, unmanned taxis as a transportation service in the state within the decade, the Arizona Capitol Times reports.
Committee members on the Urban Air Mobility Study Committee expressed optimism that aerial drone taxi services could start in the state after hearing presentations from Boeing and Hyundai, two companies that are working on developing air taxis.
"These are not flying cars where anybody just gets in and picks a destination that may or may not be on a map," said Ben Ivers, Boeing director of autonomous systems regulatory affairs. "These are more like ride share apps that you would go from a pre-described location to another pre-described location."
Boeing is currently developing Wisk, an electric, automated aircraft that can fly with up to four passengers. Ivers told the committee that the company was targeting 2025 as the year to start passenger flights with Wisk.
The vehicles are designed for short flights of about 25 miles and can speed up to 100 miles per hour. The aircraft takes off and lands vertically like a helicopter and flies at a low altitude from about 1,500 to 5,000 feet above the ground. Read more.
Date: October 19, 2023
Future rooftop solar customers of Tucson Electric Power and other Arizona utilities could find it harder to make their panels pencil out as state regulators look to revisit what utilities pay them for the excess energy they send to the grid, tuscon.com reports.
The Arizona Corporation Commission recently voted to formally review the reimbursement rate that future rooftop solar customers of state-regulated utilities will get for excess power they send to the grid, despite vehement opposition from solar supporters.
After more than four hours of public comment, the commission voted 3-2 to open a new case to discuss the state's current 10% annual limit on the amount utilities can cut so-called solar export rates, as well as an associated 10-year rate lock-in period.
But the commission dropped from the planned discussion a proposed examination of the "grandfathering" of the rooftop-solar customers who installed solar before 2018 and still get the full retail rate for their energy exports for 20 years, promising that any potential changes would only apply to customers installing solar in the future.
The commission moved to proceed despite a parade of solar supporters who said the change would disrupt a carefully crafted compromise in the ACC's landmark 2017 "Value of Solar" decision.
That decision replaced customer export credits at the full retail price, known as net metering, with solar-export credits based on what the utilities pay for solar power and adjusted annually with reductions capped at 10%. Read more.
Date: October 19, 2023
As Arizona's unprecedented economic growth continues, the state is also experiencing a rapid uptick in construction projects across the state. Arizona has developed a deep pipeline of quality construction jobs that will help build and sustain a future that will benefit all Arizonans, the Arizona Commerce Authority reports.
In September 2023, the Phoenix Metro area was ranked No. 2 in the nation for industrial property supply pipeline with over 51.1 million-square-feet of space under construction.
Arizona's workforce continues to grow with key partnerships across industry, government and academia. Recently, Governor Katie Hobbs, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), and the Arizona Industrial Commission announced the Voluntary Protection Program. The workplace safety program will cover the 12,000 construction workers currently on-site supporting TSMC's Phoenix project.
In August 2023, Governor Hobbs also announced the BuilditAZ Apprenticeship, a statewide initiative to double the number of construction and trades registered apprentices by 2026. This program focuses on increasing access to apprenticeships for women and other underrepresented learners while increasing postsecondary attainment.
Arizona's construction talent pipeline has grown substantially in recent years as project activity boomed. Between 2017 and 2022, Arizona saw the second-fastest construction employment growth in the country. Arizona added over 50,000 construction jobs during that time, the fourth most of any state. Read more.
Date: October 19, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 7. Access meeting information here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Senior Transportation Planner
Scottsdale, AZ
Assistant District Engineer
Flagstaff, AZ
Date: September 25, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, September 26. Access meeting information here.
Construction employment increased in 45 states and the District of Columbia in July from a year earlier, while 27 states added construction employees from June to July, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America.
Association officials said recent job gains would be more widespread if government officials helped more people prepare for construction careers. Arizona ranks No. 6 for adding the most construction jobs (1,200), and No. 9 for the biggest construction employment increase by percentage (0.9%). Read more.
Date: September 25, 2023
Salt River Project (SRP) and CMBlu Energy have announced a pilot project called Desert Blume that will provide long-duration energy storage in the Phoenix area. Desert Blume will use non-lithium battery storage to house 5 megawatts, or 10 hours, of energy, Environment+Energy Leader reports.
Designer and manufacturer of long-duration energy systems, CMBlu, was selected by SRP largely for its sustainable approach to energy storage. The company's Organic SolidFlow battery uses solid and water-based electrolytes with high energy density instead of rare materials often used in batteries, such as lithium and cobalt. The technology allows for a fully recyclable system that may be safely housed inside buildings. The cost-effective technology can store and deliver energy for two to three times longer per cycle than traditional lithium-ion technology, according to the company.
The battery storage system will help SRP, a not-for-profit utility serving the Phoenix area, as they work towards a low-carbon resource portfolio. Read more.
Date: September 25, 2023
A new University of Arizona fellowship program will focus on how to build more inclusive learning environments for high school and college students in science, technology, engineering and math fields.
The first cohort of the Research on Educational Equity and Diversity in STEM Postdoctoral Fellowship program began this summer, according to a news release. The four postdoctoral researchers in the REEDS program, all from the College of Education, will learn skills to help them bring their research and teaching to communities that have largely gone underrepresented in STEM disciplines, including students of color, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and first-generation college students.
The program is funded by a $1.25 million grant from the National Science Foundation, which will fund the four fellows for the next two years. The program is one of many that contribute to the university's mission as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a federal designation the university received in 2018. HSIs are institutions with an undergraduate enrollment that is at least 25% Hispanic, and HSIs are eligible for certain federal grants to support those students. The US Department of Education reviews the designation annually. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Power Delivery Principal Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Assistant General Manager
Mohave Valley, AZ
Date: August 17, 2023
The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking public comments about the draft Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP), which includes a recommended strategy for using anticipated limited funding to preserve existing highways across rural Arizona over the next 25 years.
The draft plan is available for review and comment at ADOT through September 7, and ADOT also will hold a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, August 22. Registration for the Zoom meeting is available here.
The Long Range Transportation Plan is not project-specific. Rather, it provides a blueprint and vision for Arizona's future transportation system and includes modes of transportation beyond state highways. It sets transportation investment priorities for ADOT and partnering agencies to consider based on anticipated future revenues and costs for improvements.
The draft long range plan includes a projection of $69 billion in transportation revenues, including state, federal and regional funds, between 2026 and 2050, including funding from the new federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. It also points to anticipated transportation needs totaling $231 billion over that same 25-year period. Read more.
Date: August 17, 2023
Raytheon, a leading aerospace and defense company, will open a new facility at SkySong, the Arizona State University Scottsdale Innovation Center, adding 28,000 square feet of digital design space to the company's footprint just minutes away from the university's Tempe campus.
The new engineering design hub will leverage talent in the metro Phoenix area, housing approximately 150 professional positions — 95% of which will be employees new to Raytheon. The location will focus primarily on digital design products that support the rapid growth and demand for the company's defense portfolio, which, to date, has mostly been concentrated in southern Arizona.
"We've been working for years to expand our presence in the greater Phoenix area to take advantage of a talent pool that is uniquely qualified to drive this type of innovation," said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon. "This expansion will also provide greater opportunities to collaborate with other tech companies and suppliers in the region."
In addition to expanding its presence to the Valley, the move strengthens Raytheon's partnership with ASU and its Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, the largest engineering university in the country, to create a steady pipeline of talent for the future and further many research and development projects. Read more.
Date: August 17, 2023
The Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA) is accepting applications for the 13th annual Arizona Innovation Challenge (AIC). The authority is accepting applications until August 31. The Arizona Innovation Challenge, which is the largest state-sponsored business plan competition in the nation, advances innovation and technology commercialization opportunities in Arizona by helping early-stage ventures to scale, according to a news release.
Since 2011, the ACA has selected 130 AIC awardees from over 2,700 applications, representing a total portfolio evaluation of $2.8 billion and $1.6 billion in follow-on capital raised by awardees since winning. AIC awardees include sectors such as IT and software, bio and life sciences, cleantech and renewable energy, and advanced manufacturing. Previous awardees include notable startups such as Botco.ai, CampusLogic, Paradox, Ampcera, ReSuture, Air2O and more.
Up to 10 companies will be selected as awardees and gain access to the ACA’s flagship entrepreneurship program Venture Ready Accelerator, which connects companies with serial entrepreneurs, high-level executives and subject matter experts. The awardees will complete a series of panels and workshops within nine months of receiving the award where they will learn how to refine their business plans, improve go-to-market execution strategies, and increase investor readiness. Read more.
Date: August 17, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, August 22. Access meeting information here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Regional Traffic Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Senior Engineering Technician
Prescott, AZ
Date: July 20, 2023
NSPE-AZ will host a Professional Engineers Day Celebration on Wednesday, August 2. Stay tuned for details!
Date: July 20, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, July 25. Access meeting information here.
Date: July 20, 2023
The Arizona State Transportation Board recently approved the 2024-2028 Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program, Transportation Today reports.
The program includes more than $9 billion in transportation investments to expand and improve pavement on multiple highways. Funding includes $2.6 billion for bridge preservation projects, and $469 million for projects that improve highway safety, efficiency and functionality.
The vehicle license tax and gasoline and diesel fuel taxes primarily fund the program. Maricopa and Pima counties have independent revenue from sales taxes. The program expands on $50.5 million in pavement repair projects underway or starting this summer. The state legislature and Governor Kathleen Hobbs also allocated $54 million for additional pavement improvement projects in rural areas.
The Arizona Department of Transportation, local governments and regional transportation planning organizations prioritized projects that are ready to build or design. Public input also was considered.
More than $1 billion for the widening of Interstate 10 between Phoenix and Casa Grande. Phase one, the Gila River Bridge project, will begin later this year. The state plans to widening I-10 to three lanes in each direction between Phoenix and Tucson. Read more.
Date: July 20, 2023
Arizona State University and Applied Materials, Inc., aided by the Arizona Commerce Authority, formed an alliance to bring more than $270 million to create the Materials-to-Fab Center in the university's MacroTechnology Works building at ASU Research Park, The Center Square reports.
The MTF Center will create a world-class shared research, development, and prototyping facility. "The MTF Center will be designed to accelerate the transfer of innovations from ideation to fab prototype by bringing Applied Materials' state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing equipment into a collaborative environment where ASU and Applied Materials can work with industry partners, startups, government entities and academic institutions," according to a July 11 news release.
The center will provide students and faculty with opportunities for hands-on learning and research on the same equipment used in leading-edge production fabs. "Applied Materials is the world's largest provider of semiconductor manufacturing equipment," according to the news release. "The new MTF Center at ASU will be home to Applied's Center of Excellence in materials deposition technology."
The MTF Center's new lab is expected to be operational within two years. The project is supported by investments from the Arizona Commerce Authority, ASU, and Arizona New Economy Initiative funding and bonds. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Director of Water Resources
Phoenix, AZ
Deputy Director, Transportation
Glendale, AZ
NSPE-AZ will host its next monthly event on Tuesday, June 27 (5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. MT) at the ACEC Arizona Headquarters (532 W McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85003). The event will feature an Order of the Engineer Induction Ceremony.
All disciplines of engineers are invited to be inducted by current NSPE-AZ leaders and Order of the Engineer members David Janover, P.E., Kim Carroll, P.E., Michaela Rempkowski, P.E., DBIA, ENV SP, and Frederick Tack, P.E., D.WRE, ENV SP. We also invite current Order of the Engineers members and NSPE-AZ members to attend and socialize with us and the newest inductees. Access the event registration here.
Date: June 22, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, June 27, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Access meeting information here.
Date: June 22, 2023
Proposition 400, a statewide sales tax set aside for local infrastructure projects, will expire in 2025 unless either lawmakers opposed to it and Governor Katie Hobbs can agree on an extension or local leaders go around them and ask voters to approve it.
The Republican-led legislature sent Hobbs a version of the sales tax originally approved in 1985 that restricts ways the tax dollars can be spent, including money going toward expanding the valley's polarizing light rail line, according to a The Center Square report. "We took out the holes," Senate President Warren Peterson (R-Gilbert) said in a recent floor debate. "This is actually very close to what has been put out there, but there were these loopholes in there that we cleaned up."
Hobbs told reporters that she would likely veto the measure.
While a half-cent may seem insignificant, the Maricopa Association of Governments said Proposition 400 cost taxpayers $664.8 million in fiscal year 2022. That's an increase of more than $107 million from the prior year when the economy was still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Should that avenue fail, mayors who face losing that money say they'll force the issue to be decided on the ballot. Read more.
Date: June 22, 2023
The US Energy Department said it plans to loan KORE Power Inc. $850 million to build an advanced battery cell manufacturing facility in Buckeye, Arizona, Reuters reports.
The facility, called "KOREPlex," aims to strengthen the US battery supply chain by significantly increasing cell manufacturing capacity for energy storage systems and electric vehicles. The low-cost government loan will help fund construction of the facility that will produce an estimated 6 GWh of battery cell storage capacity annually, which could power more than 28,000 EVs a year.
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho-based KORE said the 1.3-million square facility, which began construction last year, will house multiple production lines to manufacture batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems in the US, producing nickel manganese cobalt and lithium-ion iron phosphate. It will employ 1,250 people when operating at capacity. Commercial production is set to begin in late 2024 or early 2025. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Assistant City Traffic Engineer
Goodyear, AZ
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Engineer
Mesa, AZ
Date: May 19, 2023
NSPE-AZ will host its next monthly event on Tuesday, June 27 (5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. MT) at the ACEC Arizona Headquarters (532 W McDowell Road, Phoenix, AZ, 85003). The event will feature an Order of the Engineer Induction Ceremony that will begin at 6:00 p.m. Stay tuned for more details.
NSPE-AZ Board of Directors will hold its next board meeting on Friday, June 2. The board meetings are held on the first Friday of every month from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the offices of McCarthy Building Companies (6225 N 24th St, Suite 125, Phoenix, AZ 85013). Access information about future meetings and other NSPE-AZ events here.
Date: May 19, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, June 27, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Access meeting information here.
Date: May 19, 2023
As semiconductor factories go up across Arizona, there's a shortage of engineers qualified to do the job, according to an abc15.com report.
Dr. Mehmet Balaban graduated from Arizona State University in May 2020. He's now working at one of Intel's semiconductor facilities in Chandler. "I'm really excited to be back in Arizona where there's a huge growth in the field," he said. "What we work on will be the next future technology."
Within the past few years, more plants in Chandler, North Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa have broken ground. Inside, microchips are created that power your car, computer, and items we have yet to see. "These chips end up in literally everything we use either to make our lives easier, to make them fun, to keep us more productive, to keep us alive in some cases," said ASU Engineering Professor Michael Kozicki.
Kozicki said part of the reason the plants are coming to Arizona is that ASU is the biggest engineering school in the country. Read more.
Date: May 19, 2023
A proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency could put Arizona and many more regions across the United States in a bureaucratic fiasco, local leaders say, The Center Square reports.
The agency is expected to reach a decision in August on whether or not to decrease the particulate matter standard as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards, which could make it harder for cities like Phoenix to meet their requirements.
Particulate matter is defined as a "mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air," according to the agency.
Specifically, the EPA wants to go from 12 micrograms per cubic meter down to a range between 9 and 10 micrograms per cubic meter. By lowering the number, the agency makes these "nonattainment" areas put together action plans in order to lower the number of pollutants, which could lead to more stringent actions on emissions at the business and consumer levels. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Manager, Transportation Systems
Glendale, AZ
Water Resources Project Manager
Arizona
Date: April 20, 2023
Save the date for an Order of the Engineer Induction Ceremony on Tuesday, May 23. Stay tuned for more details.
Date: April 20, 2023
NSPE-AZ Board of Directors will hold its next board meeting on Friday, May 5. The board meetings are held on the first Friday of every month from 3:30 pm to 5:00 p.m. at the offices of McCarthy Building Companies (6225 N 24th St, Suite 125, Phoenix, AZ 85013). Access information about future meetings and other NSPE-AZ events here.
Date: April 20, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, April 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Access meeting information here.
Date: April 20, 2023
There will be rumblings the weekend of April 22-23 as the Arizona Department of Transportation’s (ADOT) I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project gears up to remove the old 48th Street and Broadway Road bridges over Interstate 10.
Named, "Ready to Rubble," this event will bid farewell to the old bridges that motorists drove on for nearly six decades to make way for new ones, according to a news release. These modern bridges opened to traffic earlier this year and are ready to meet the growing number of Arizona motorists in the valley, which is expected to increase by 25% by 2040.
While all the attention will be on the old coming down to make way for the new, one thing that might also have a reverberating impact is that "Ready to Rubble" will offer aspiring Arizona engineers an opportunity to see how their field of study affects us all.
Robert Samour, ADOT's senior deputy state engineer for major projects says, "Engineering students today are the ones who will shape and change the world around us. They're the ones who will solve problems and build things that will benefit people's everyday lives. Having these students see how roadway bridges are removed will be an important part of their learning process."
Part of the bridge removal process includes inviting engineering students from around the state so they can see how what they learn in the classroom has a real-world impact. They will have an opportunity to ask ADOT engineers and industry professionals questions about the construction and removal process of the outgoing bridges. Read more.
Date: April 20, 2023
Sustainability and economic growth may seem like two concepts in tension, but groups such as Arizona Forward are working to create harmony between these objectives, AZ Big Media reports.
Lori Singleton, president and CEO of Arizona Forward, explains that for more than 50 years, her organization has been a convener of dialogue between governments, businesses, and residents to work towards meeting climate action goals. This cooperation is especially important for Arizona considering the federal dollars available for such projects through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
"We see the [IIJA] and IRA funds as a catalyst to make positive changes," she says. "Arizona Forward is not going to be out front asking for any grant money. Our role is to support the cities and businesses who want to put together projects or improve infrastructure and transportation."
Braden Kay, sustainability director for the City of Tempe and a board member of Arizona Forward, says that the collaborative nature of Arizona Forward was on display when the group marshaled support for the IRA. "Arizona Forward has great relationships with our federal delegation," he says. "Even before the bill passed, they helped our mayor be in constant communication with Senator Sinema's office and Senator Kelly's office to make sure they knew all that Arizona stood to gain from the passage of both the infrastructure bill and the IRA." Read more.
Date: April 20, 2023
The US Department of Agriculture recently announced $6.6 million in investments for renewable energy infrastructure projects in rural communities in three states, including Arizona, KTAR news reports.
Non-profit organization Cooperatives for a Better World and Navajo Power Home will use $1.9 million to develop infrastructure to power up to 100 northeast Arizona homes.
The grants will be allocated to install stand-alone solar photovoltaic systems — which convert sunlight into electricity using solar panels — in the Former Bennett Freeze Area for long-term energy security. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Public Works Director
Sahuarita, AZ
Senior Civil Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
The next NSPE-AZ luncheon will take place on Tuesday, March 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (MT) and will feature a presentation on Civil & Construction Engineering - the Carefree Water Consolidation Project. Greg Crossman, P.E., the general manager of Carefree Water Company, will serve as the presenter.
This presentation will discuss the disconnection and reconnection of hundreds of customers, plus $11.5 million of system improvements to strengthen the assured water supply, ensure representation, and complete capacity, quality, and reliability improvements to benefit for all Carefree water users. Following the presentation there will be a site tour of the project.
Date: March 17, 2023
The NSPE-AZ Board of Directors will hold its next board meeting on Friday, April 7. The meetings are held on the first Friday of every month from 3:30 pm to 5:00 p.m. at the offices of McCarthy Building Companies (6225 N 24th St, Suite 125, Phoenix, AZ 85013). Access information about future meetings and other NSPE-AZ events here.
Date: March 17, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 28, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Access meeting information here.
Date: March 17, 2023
It's a story of ambitious goals and limited resources. The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is looking toward 2050 with about a third of the funding it would need to execute all of the state highway authority's plans between now and then, the Arizona Daily Sun reports.
ADOT recently presented its Long Range Plan at an in-person public meeting at the Flagstaff Aquaplex. The meeting was one of three that took place across the state, engaging community members with the multi-modal transportation agency's broader mission, vision and goals going into the next few decades.
The plan will guide ADOT's policies as it manages Arizona highways, approximately 8,500 bridges, two urban transit systems (in Phoenix and Tucson) and 67 public-use airports. The plan doesn't go into detail regarding any of ADOT's specific projects or operations; it is intended to provide a policy framework for planners to use as they maintain and craft infrastructure for the state's transportation system between now and 2050. Read more.
Date: March 17, 2023
Communities across rural Arizona may soon welcome high-speed internet into their neighborhoods for the first time thanks to more than $99 million in pandemic relief funds that will be directed toward expanding broadband throughout the state.
Late last month, the US Department of Treasury approved the state's plan to use more than half of Arizona's Capital Projects Fund allocation through the American Rescue Plan Act to fund broadband infrastructure, AZ Central reports. These funds will be allocated through two programs focused specifically on the different needs of the state's rural and urban counties.
"Today's investment in Arizona increases connectivity across our state, ensuring everyday Arizonans have access to high-speed internet no matter where they live," said Arizona US Senator Kyrsten Sinema when the funding was announced. Read more.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Electrical Engineer II/III
Phoenix, AZ
Full Time, General Civil and Water Resources Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Date: February 15, 2023
Dear NSPE-AZ Members and Friends,
I hope that you all are gearing up for Engineers Week, February 19-25! This year's theme, "creating the future," couldn't be more fitting for the celebration we will be holding in Phoenix. On February 21, the state chapter and the local APWA will be hosting an awards luncheon to celebrate amazing engineers and those that inspire the next generation! I am excited to announce the following award winners:
The 2022/2023 Engineer of the Year is Duane Eitel, P.E., PTOE. Duane is the deputy public works director for Casa Grande and has been an advocate and driver for ensuring that the city's infrastructure kept up with growth, including major transit systems and water infrastructure. Duane has spent his entire career as an innovator and champion of transportation engineering. He has also been a member of the NSPE-AZ board since 2016 and has been a key player in keeping the society and advocacy for the profession alive in Arizona.
The 2022/2023 Government Engineer of the Year is Jeanne Jensen, P.E. As a chemical engineer, Jeanne is a great example of the diversity of professional licensure. Jeanne is the CIP projects supervisor for the Town of Gilbert and has spearheaded the business case and ultimate execution of the state's largest clean water infrastructure project, securing a reliable source of drinking water for her community for generations. You would typically find Jeanne volunteering, leading, or teaching in local and national water associations. Jeanne's passion and drive as a public servant has made, and will continue to make, a lasting impact on the Town of Gilbert and water resources in the State of Arizona.
The 2022/2023 Lifetime Achievement Award will honor the life of Vonne Nicklaus, P.E. Vonne Nicklaus was the president and CEO of Nicklaus Engineering, Inc. in Yuma, Arizona. Vonne was a leader in many of Yuma's most important development boards, dedicating his life to the growth and success of the entire city. As a result of Vonne's mentorship, many engineers who worked for Nicklaus Engineering went on to form five focused engineering companies including Dahl, Robins & Associates, Edais Engineering, Geotechnical Testing Services, Core Engineering Group, and Guiterrez-Canales Engineering. Vonne's leadership and impact continues to ripple throughout Arizona to this day.
The 2022/2023 Educator of the Year is Justin Davis. Justin is an engineering innovation and entrepreneur instructor at the MET Professional Academy. Justin has been instrumental in integrating the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program into the MET curriculum, with a high rate of success. Letters from Justin's students emphasize his ability to challenge and inspire students with real world issues. Justin's partnership and collaboration with higher education institutions and industry leaders has made his curriculum engaging and impactful. Justin is creating the future of STEM professionals.
I am so proud of and inspired by this year's award winners! There is so much talent, innovation, and humanity in our industry and in our state, and these awardees are the best examples of that. I hope you all plan on joining us at the awards ceremony next week to celebrate and honor these outstanding individuals. There are only a few spots left and registration closes at the end of the week. You can find a link to the registration page here. We'll see you next week!
Respectfully,
Michaela Rempkowski, P.E., DBIA, ENVSP
President, NSPE-AZ (Arizona Society of Professional Engineers)
Date: February 15, 2023
Capt. Christopher C. Jankowski, P.E., PMP, ENV SP, was named a top 10 finalist for NSPE's Federal Engineer of the Year Award. He serves as the chief of operations engineering for the US Department of the Air Force, Pacific Air Forces.
Jankowski and the other finalists will be recognized during a ceremony at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on February 24.
The Federal Engineer of the Year Award honors engineers employed by a federal agency that employs at least 50 engineers worldwide. These nominees have made extensive contributions to their organizations and also to the public that PEs ultimately serve.
Date: February 15, 2023
Join your fellow NSPE-AZ members at the 2023 Engineers Week Celebration: Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, February 21. We will be celebrating the future of the profession and honoring the annual award winners. This event includes a formal sit-down lunch (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) at the ACEC headquarters in Phoenix.
The cost of the event is as follows: Students–$10, NSPE-AZ Members–$25, Nonmembers–$40. Event sponsorships are also available! Access more information and register here.
Thanks to our Sponsors!
Date: February 15, 2023
NSPE-AZ Board of Directors will hold its next board meeting on Friday, March 3. The board meetings are held on the first Friday of every month from 3:30 pm to 5:00 p.m. at the offices of McCarthy Building Companies (6225 N 24th St, Suite 125, Phoenix, AZ 85013). Access information about future meetings and other NSPE-AZ events here.
Save the Date: March Luncheon
NSPE-AZ will host a luncheon on Tuesday, March 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (MT). Stay tuned for more details.
Date: February 15, 2023
Semiconductor chip manufacturer Intel — which has had a longtime presence in Arizona — is helping to boost the number and diversity of workers available in the industry through their Broadening Participation in Science and Engineering Higher Education grant program. The grants are distributed from Intel to educational institutions in states where the company has a strong manufacturing and engineering presence, AZ Big Media reports.
Trevor Thornton and Hongbin Yu, both professors of electrical engineering in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, have received grants to help train the semiconductor workforce of the future.
"Intel takes great pride in supporting Arizona State University's semiconductor industry workforce development initiatives," says Intel's Arizona public affairs manager Angela Creedon. "These programs are essential to enabling Intel and the industry's growth in Arizona and to helping ensure our workforce reflects the incredible diversity of our community." Read more.
Date: February 15, 2023
Along the Colorado River and its tributaries, climate change is spurring the worst drought in 1,200 years. The river's water flow has decreased by about 20% in the last 23 years, endangering water supplies to about 40 million people in seven states and to 5 million acres of agriculture. The Bureau of Reclamation has asked the seven states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming — to consider how to cut their share of the river's water by up to 30% this year, The Week reports.
In Arizona, drought is combining with a population boom to create particularly dire water shortages, limiting further development and leading Scottsdale to cut off water supplies to a neighboring community beyond its borders. Among the solutions under consideration, desalination — the process of removing salt from saline water — is emerging as a top contender. In December, Arizona's water finance board advanced a proposal for a $5.5 billion desalination plant in Mexico's Sea of Cortez. After being desalinated, the water would be pumped 200 miles north in a pipeline, crossing the southern border to deliver water to drought-stricken regions.
The first phase of the Arizona plan, which could bring about 300,000 acre-feet of water to Arizona in a single pipeline by 2027, could cost up to $1 billion a year. That would be enough to supply a million or more Arizona households, but at a cost at least 40 times higher than current supplies. "No one can value the cost of water," said Erez Hoter-Ishay, manager of the team developing the project. "When you don't have water, you don't have growth, you don't have life."
Read more.
Date: January 20, 2023
The Arizona Society of Professional Engineers will host a luncheon on Tuesday, January 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (MT). This luncheon will feature a presentation on how the City of Casa Grande increased wastewater capacity three-fold in 24 months; and the innovation of accommodating massive new development and improving traffic flow with adaptive traffic signals.
Attendees can earn PDHs by attending the luncheon taking place at the Carollo Engineers office in Phoenix. Access the registration here.
Date: January 20, 2023
Join your fellow NSPE-AZ members at the 2023 Engineers Week Celebration: Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, February 21. We will be celebrating the future of the profession and honoring our annual award winners. This event includes a formal sit-down lunch (11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) at the ACEC headquarters in Phoenix.
The cost of the event is as follows: Students–$10, NSPE-AZ Members–$25, Nonmembers–$40. Event sponsorships are also available! Access more information and register here.
Date: January 20, 2023
NSPE-AZ Board of Directors will hold its next board meeting on Friday, February 3. The board meetings are held on the first Friday of every month from 3:30 pm to 5:00 p.m. at the offices of McCarthy Building Companies (6225 N 24th St, Suite 125, Phoenix, AZ 85013). Access information about future meetings and other NSPE-AZ events here.
Date: January 20, 2023
Experts say few Arizona residents will notice any immediate change to the availability of water in their daily lives after January 1, when steep Arizona water cuts will be imposed on the amount of water the state can draw from the Colorado River.
But that does not mean they can relax. State and federal water officials expect more cuts will be required in 2023, as they struggle to keep drought-ravaged Lake Powell and Lake Mead from falling to critically low levels, AZ Big Media reports.
And it's anybody's guess as to when and how those additional cuts will take effect, they say. "If there's one thing water managers really like, it's certainty," said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. "And 2023 seems to be anything but." Read more.
Date: January 20, 2023
As the first school in the United States to offer three degrees in manufacturing engineering — a bachelor's degree, master’s degree, and newly launched doctoral degree — the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks (part of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University) is becoming a premier destination for manufacturing engineering.
"We have completed the trifecta in manufacturing engineering education at ASU," says Binil Starly, professor and director in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, in a news release. "It is our priority to fill curriculum gaps and offer all-inclusive programming to support the American manufacturing sector. The launch of this degree proves that we are on that path, but we still have work to do."
Enrollment in the manufacturing engineering doctoral degree is now open for the fall 2023 semester. Students in the program can expect to be at the leading edge of manufacturing research, learning from research-active faculty, and leveraging the ongoing and future investments in manufacturing education and research, including more than $2 million in shared equipment and $5 million in faculty lab resources. Read more.
Date: January 20, 2023
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, January 24. Access the meeting information here. Please review the meeting agenda prior to requesting a Google Meet invite to the meeting.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Principal Electrical Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Date: December 21, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey and ElectraMeccanica recently celebrated the start of production for the company's electric vehicles, continuing Arizona's manufacturing momentum major announcements from semiconductor and battery manufacturer.
"Arizona and our thriving manufacturing ecosystem have made quite the statement over the last six days," said Governor Ducey at the production facility commissioning event. "Arizona has long been a driving force of innovation. ElectraMeccanica, with its one-of-a-kind vehicles, is further proof of that. The company adds to a growing list of electric vehicle manufacturers and suppliers flocking to our state."
The governor toured the campus which will also be the home to the company's headquarters – officially establishing ElectraMeccanica as an American Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). ElectraMeccanica is the fifth electric vehicle manufacturing facility to open in Arizona since 2016. The electric vehicle manufacturer's Mesa production facility "went online" December 12, and will ultimately have the capacity to produce up to 20,000 vehicles per year. Read more.
Date: December 21, 2022
The Biden Administration recently updated state and territory fact sheets that highlight the nationwide impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the largest long-term investment infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century. To date, almost $3.3 billion in funding has been announced and is headed to Arizona with over 230 specific projects identified for funding. Access information about Arizona projects here.
Date: December 21, 2022
Eradicating cancer is a complex goal because of the environment in which the disease grows – the human body. "We've cured cancer in petri dishes, and we've cured cancer in mice. We haven't cured cancer in people, because people are none of those things," said University of Arizona researcher Jennifer Barton, Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering and director of the university's BIO5 Institute.
Barton is part the University of Arizona Cancer Engineering Initiative, which was awarded $10.8 million over three years through the state of Arizona's New Economy Initiative, beginning fiscal year 2022-2023, according to a news release.
The effort began with David W. Hahn, the Craig M. Berge Dean of the College of Engineering, and Joann Sweasy, the Nancy C. and Craig M. Berge Endowed Chair for the Director of the University of Arizona Cancer Center. They formed a working group around a shared vision: Merge engineering and cancer research to better account for the realities of how and where cancers grow to improve diagnosis, prevention, and precision treatments for cancer. Read more.
Date: December 21, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Thursday, January 5. Access the meeting information here. Please review the meeting agenda prior to requesting a Google Meet invite to the meeting.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Transportation Systems Administrator
Glendale, AZ
Date: November 17, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey recently announced an historic $100 million investment in Arizona's fast-growing semiconductor industry to spur greater growth in a critical sector of the state's economy, according to a news release.
The funding will be managed by the Arizona Commerce Authority to further enhance Arizona's semiconductor infrastructure, workforce, and research capabilities. In addition, it will help maximize the state's competitive position for research and development opportunities under the CHIPS Act while spurring additional private sector investment.
Passage of the CHIPS Act earlier this year catalyzed unique opportunities for the US to attract and grow private sector investments in semiconductor equipment and materials, design, manufacturing, advanced packaging, and cutting-edge research. Read more.
Date: November 17, 2022
The AMC Water and Environment Committee has begun talks with Mexico to build a desalination plant, offering Arizona more options for water resources, according to Chamber Business News.
"Without a relationship with Mexico, our only reasonable option for desalination would be the western coast of the US, but now we have a whole host of other potential options working with neighbors to the south; we can collaborate on the art of the possible," said Jessica Pacheco, president of the Arizona-Mexico Commission and founder of Arizona-based public affairs firm, Horizon Strategies.
This is part of a greater trend of Arizona attracting foreign technology companies because of the state's welcoming environment to all incomers. Experts say that having more efficient regionalized supply chains will help the health of the state's economy.
Date: November 17, 2022
More women work in construction in Arizona than anywhere else in the country except for the District of Columbia, The Washington Post reports. In total, 15.6% of people working in construction in the state are women.
This percentage has increased nationwide since 2015, and Hispanic women make up the majority of that growth. In 2021, 32.3% of Arizona residents were Hispanic or Latino (of any race), according to the US Census Bureau. The Post cites an aging construction workforce leaving job vacancies as one reason for the increased number of women in the field, which includes management and office jobs. Also, labor groups have worked in recent years to increase the number of skilled tradeswomen and to improve support for women on jobsites. Read more.
Date: November 17, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 6. Access the meeting information here. Please review the meeting agenda prior to requesting a Google Meet invite to the meeting.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
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Featured Job
System Innovation & Development Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Date: October 19, 2022
The latest Arizona Voters' Agenda survey findings demonstrate that growth is top of mind for the majority of Arizona's likely voters as they highly support investing in infrastructure for this purpose. The results indicate that majorities of voters continue to prefer the investment of surplus dollars over tax cuts. The findings also provide insight into what likely voters think about some specific investments.
A sizeable 89% of the electorate agrees with the following statement, "To keep up with growth, we need to make ongoing investments in education, our transportation system, public safety, and other critical infrastructure." This includes support among 81% of Republicans, 93% of independent/unaffiliated voters, and 96% of Democrats. Read more.
Date: October 19, 2022
An autonomous driving technology company plans to open its first Arizona location, azcentral.com reports. Pony.ai will establish operations in Tucson in partnership with Pima Community College.
The company will base its operations at the college's new Automotive Technology and Innovation Center on its downtown campus. Autonomous vehicles will be tested on Tucson roads; a licensed driver will always be behind the wheel, the company reports.
"Pony.ai’s decision to select Tucson for their new autonomous passenger vehicle testing operations is further validation that Southern Arizona is an emerging player in the autonomous vehicle industry," said Joe Snell, president and CEO of Sun Corridor Inc., an economic development agency. He said other self-driving vehicle companies are also looking to the region as a possible testing ground.
Date: October 19, 2022
Industrial space in Arizona has become much sought after by companies in manufacturing and e-commerce, and the trend is expected to continue, according to The Phoenix Business Journal.
In El Mirage, for example, the city planning commission recently approved major industrial construction proposals there, where demand from industry for development space has been high.
Proposals are on the table for new distribution and manufacturing facilities in the Valley. Companies are clamoring for space as the post-pandemic era has many re-shoring – moving operations back to the US – in order to have shorter supply chains and less logistical headaches, GLOBEST reports.
Date: October 19, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 1. Access the meeting information here. Please review the meeting agenda prior to requesting a Google Meet invite to the meeting.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
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Featured Jobs
Public Works Director
Apache Junction, AZ
Project Engineer
Scottsdale, AZ
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Date: September 21, 2022
Let's kick-off the 2022-2023 ASPE activities with a social! Take a break, come out and join us on Wednesday, October 5 (4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.) in a relaxed atmosphere for some much-deserved social time. Mix and mingle with other professionals, discuss what's new across the industry, and make friends and memories at the Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. in downtown Phoenix. Access more event information and the registration form here.
Date: September 21, 2022
The Federal Highway Administration has approved Arizona's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan, paving the way for the state to use funding to construct and upgrade stations, according to a KTAR News report.
The Arizona Department of Transportation will get $11.3 million immediately and another $16.3 million in October from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The plan aims to close gaps in the charging network throughout the five federal interstates throughout Arizona. It also hopes to identify potential new station locations.
Most new stations will be built in areas where infrastructure, such as truck stops, lodging, restaurants and shopping centers, are available. The plan calls for stations to be within 50 miles of each other whenever possible. Read more.
Date: September 21, 2022
Dozens of miles of the Parker-Davis Project transmission system in Arizona will be rebuilt by the Western Area Power Administration and Tucson Electric Power, according to publicpower.org. Currently, the system includes more than 1,500 miles of high-voltage transmission lines and 32 substations.
Under a new agreement, TEP will upgrade an existing 115-kilovolt (kV) WAPA line with a double-circuit 230-kV transmission line. TEP will then own and operate one 230-kV circuit and WAPA will own and operate the other circuit. The collaboration will allow for improvements to the system’s reliability without raising WAPA's transmission rates.
"This project could serve as a model for how future large-scale, public-private partnerships can help upgrade our nation's energy infrastructure," Tracey LeBeau, WAPA administrator and CEO, said in a statement. Read more.
Date: September 21, 2022
Real-time satellite monitoring technology is being tested at an Arizona military base. The goal is to provide resource managers and security personnel with improved situational awareness about what is happening in and around large military ranges, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.
The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, in partnership with Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center and industry partner Picogrid Inc., is demonstrating the use of the satellite-connected technology at the Barry M. Goldwater Range East.
The project is funded by the National Defense Center for Energy and Environment in cooperation with the 56th Range Management Office at Luke Air Force Base.
Date: September 21, 2022
Date: August 17, 2022
The Bureau of Land Management has given Revolve Renewable Power approval for a 250MW solar-and-storage project near Parker, Arizona. The project is located on approximately 1,530 acres of land managed by BLM in La Paz County and has the capacity to provide electricity to an equivalent of approximately 300,000 homes.
Wood Group, a global engineering consultancy firm with experience across the US energy sector, has been contracted by Revolve to lead the field studies required as part of the National Environmental Policy Act process, PV-Tech reports.
Date: August 17, 2022
Lucid plans to expand the surface area of its facility in Casa Grande, Arizona, from 999,000 square feet to over 5.1-million square feet by 2028, according to insideevs.com. This expansion will encompass the fourth phase of its growth plans at the location.
The luxury automaker manufactured 700 electric sedans during the first quarter of 2022 and is increasing its output each month.
Date: August 17, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Monday, August 22, starting at 9:00 a.m. at the ADEQ building ( 1110 W. Washington St. Phoenix AZ 85007). The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Individuals can also attend the meeting virtually through Google Meet or dial: (US) +1 650-457-1480 PIN: 302 879 494# Access more phone numbers here. The board suggests reviewing any meeting agenda before requesting a Google Meet invitation.
Date: August 17, 2022
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
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Featured Job
Electrical Engineer, PE
Chandler, AZ
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Date: July 20, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey recently signed legislation that makes an unprecedented $1 billion investment to secure Arizona's water future, according to a news release.
The legislation provides the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority (WIFA) additional authority and tools that will empower the state to be proactive in bringing in new water sources. The state will be able to make significant investments in water conservation and innovative technologies such as desalination, as well as identify and develop new innovative long-term water sources.
WIFA will administer additional funds for water augmentation, supply development, conservation projects, and more. Through the funds, WIFA will have the ability to acquire, store and sell new imported water as well as engage in private-public partnerships to help enable these projects.
Date: July 20, 2022
The US Department of the Interior has approved construction of the Ten West Link Transmission Line project, which will facilitate increased renewable energy development and delivery in Arizona and California.
The project represents another significant milestone in efforts to lower consumers' energy costs and modernize America's power infrastructure in the West by permitting at least 25 gigawatts of solar, wind and geothermal production on public lands by 2025, according to a news release.
The Ten West Link route traverses a region with some of the highest potential for utility-scale solar photovoltaic energy development in the nation. The project will provide critical transmission infrastructure to support the development of future utility-scale solar energy resources and will boost the reliability of the bulk power system for millions of customers in Central Arizona and Southern California.
The Bureau of Land Management's Notice to Proceed authorizes Delaney Colorado River Transmission, LLC, to begin construction of the 125-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line that will connect existing substations near Tonopah, Arizona, and Blythe, California.
Date: July 20, 2022
A large mining operation has lost the permit it was issued during the Trump Administration due to a rule reversal from the Biden Administration. Hudbay Mining had to surrender its US Army Corps of Engineers dredge-and-fill permit for the proposed $1.9 billion Rosemont Copper mine near Tucson.
President Biden recently restored rules restricting such use of federally-protected wetlands, ENRreports. A mine operation in Georgia also lost its Clean Water Act permit. The previous administration's rule had shrunk the types of lands that would be protected, and eliminated the need for consultation with affected indigenous groups.
Date: July 20, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, July 26, starting at 9:00 a.m. at the ADEQ building ( 1110 W. Washington St. Phoenix AZ 85007). The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Individuals can also attend the meeting virtually through Google Meet or dial: (US) +1 650-457-1480 PIN: 302 879 494# Access more phone numbers here. The board suggests reviewing any meeting agenda before requesting a Google Meetup invitation.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Assistant Director - Transportation
Surprise, AZ
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Date: June 16, 2022
An agenda has been set to track the progress of Arizona's electric utilities' voluntary transition to clean energy, dailyenergyinsider.com reports.
Lea Márquez Peterson, chairwoman of the Arizona Corporation Commission, has said she supports 100% clean energy by 2050. To do this, Peterson said she was developing the docket to track the progress of state utilities, including Arizona Public Service Company, Tucson Electric Power, and Salt River Project.
"With the creation of this new docket, Arizonans will have the ability to watch the progress of our utilities over time as we work to achieve our clean energy goals together," Peterson said.
The new docket, "Arizona Corporation Commission Docket for the Purpose of Tracking Arizona Investor-Owned Utilities' Progress Toward Achieving 100 Percent Clean Energy in Arizona," can be viewed by the public on ACC's website.
Date: June 16, 2022
Plans for a $12 billion semiconductor facility to be built in Phoenix have been released by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. The project represents the largest direct foreign investment in Arizona's history, according to azcentral.
The plans show a glassy, circular building on 1,129 acres of land. On the massive site, 38 cranes are nearly finished with the structural construction of the facility.
The company expects to have more than 2,000 employees working at the plant by 2023, with the facility expected to be operational the following year. The project from TSMC has drawn other semiconductor companies and suppliers to the region, as well. Read more.
Date: June 16, 2022
Lower rainfall and higher temperatures have created ideal conditions to exacerbate Arizona's longstanding drought. Entering 2022, more than half of the state remains in severe drought status and an additional 10% is enduring extreme drought, according to an ASU News report.
These conditions — including the drop in levels at crucial water sources such as Lake Mead and the Colorado River — drive the research of doctoral student Zhaocheng Wang, who is studying hydrosystems engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, one of the seven Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
Wang's dissertation research focuses on combining modeling tools and earth observation products to better understand hydrological processes in the Southwestern United States. He has dedicated part of his dissertation research to determine the impacts the Colorado River drought will have on the people who live and work in Arizona. Read more.
Date: June 16, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, June 28, starting at 9:00 a.m. The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Due to construction, the board meeting will take place at 1740 W Adams St Phoenix, AZ 8500. Individuals can also attend the meeting virtually through Google Meet or dial: (US) +1 650-457-1480 PIN: 302 879 494# Access more phone numbers here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Principal Mechanical Engineer
Tempe, AZ
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Date: May 18, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey signed into law a bill to put the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in charge of implementing a program that ensures energy companies properly dispose of toxic ash from coal power plants, NBC-12 reports. Coal ash, a toxic byproduct of coal power production, contains contaminants like mercury, cadmium, and arsenic.
Critics of the move believe the duty should stay within the purview of the Environmental Protection Agency. "Our biggest concern is that the state is a little too cozy with the utilities and those are the entities they would be regulating relative to this program," said Sandy Bahr, Director of the Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter. But ADEQ's director argues that when implemented by the state of Arizona, the program will be more stringent than when it was managed by the EPA.
Date: May 18, 2022
Bipartisan legislation sponsored by US Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ-9) seeks to bring more money to Arizona to use drones to inspect roads, bridges and other infrastructure, the Cronkite News reports.
House Resolution 5315, known as the Drone Infrastructure Inspection Grant Act, would dispense about $200 million in federal funding–half for state, local, and tribal governments to purchase drones and the other half to train pilots to fly them.
Stanton said he wants inspections "done through the use of drones without any of that potential danger to that employee." Currently, inspectors have to use bucket trucks parked on the side of busy highways to inspect bridges and road services.
Stanton was joined by the Arizona Department of Transportation in March to discuss how drone technology is already in use in the state. ADOT has used drones since 2018 to examine hard-to-reach areas, such as canyons and bodies of water
"We have to traverse canyons, big, big waterways, where we're unable to cross a feature, so we'll utilize those drones to help supplement the inspection," said David Benton, assistant state bridge engineer with ADOT, which bought eight drones in 2018 through a grant from the Federal Highway Administration.
Date: May 18, 2022
Supply chain issues have resulted in concrete shortages for southern Arizona builders in recent weeks, resulting in building project delays and holdups in repair work, ABC-9 in Tucson reported. Driver shortages and other supply shortfalls have presented problems, as well.
Meanwhile, the Portland Cement Association reported the Mountain Region of the US experienced the highest growth in demand for cement in 2020 at 10%. Spiking housing demand in the state is exacerbating the problem.
Date: May 18, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, May 25, starting at 9:00 a.m. The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
The board meeting will take place on the third floor of the ADEQ building in suite 3175 (1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007). Individuals can also attend the meeting virtually through Google Meet or dial: (US) +1 650-457-1480 PIN: 302 879 494# Access more phone numbers here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Senior Civil Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
Tempe, AZ
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Date: April 20, 2022
CNH Industrial has opened a new engineering center in Scottsdale that will increase its Raven precision agriculture technology business's developments in AI, autonomy, machine learning, and data science.
"Our industries are undergoing a significant tech transformation and CNH Industrial wants to attract a growing talent pool of engineers and digitally-focused professionals that will shape this future," a company spokesperson said. Read more.
Date: April 20, 2022
To address water shortages in the state, Governor Doug Ducey is proposing building a desalination plant along the Gulf of California in cooperation with Mexico. In exchange, the nation to our south would receive a larger share of water from the Colorado River, insideclimatenews.org reports. Four potential sites have been identified.
Last month, the water level in Lake Powell, the second-largest reservoir in the country, dropped so low that the ability of Glen Canyon Dam to generate electricity for about six million customers was in danger. The US Bureau of Reclamation also announced in March that the reservoir in the Upper Colorado River Basin had fallen below its safety zone, putting at risk the ability to turn the dam's turbines. The water level is expected to recover by May, but its supply of water will still be dangerously low.
The proposed desalination plants are among solutions that could be developed by the water authority agency the governor announced in February.
Date: April 20, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Monday, April 25 starting at 9:00 a.m. The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Due to construction, the board meeting will take place on the third floor in conference room 3175 at 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007. Individuals can also attend the meeting virtually through Google Meet or dial: (US) +1 650-457-1480 PIN: 302 879 494# Access more phone numbers here.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
City Engineer
Surprise, AZ
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
Tempe, AZ
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Date: March 14, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey has created the Arizona Water Authority in an effort to secure water for the state for 100 years, ABC 15 reports. It will consist of a nine-member board that will administer the governor's $1 billion investment in water security.
The authority will identify and develop innovative long-term water sources, including possibilities like ocean desalination and hauling water from other states. It will also have the power to acquire, own, and sell water on behalf of the state, ABC reports.
Date: March 14, 2022
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s new Arizona chip-making plant has run into construction delays, according to a new report from Nikkei Asia. The report notes that work has fallen three to six months behind schedule due to a mixture of labor shortages, COVID-19 surges, and complexities in obtaining construction licenses.
TSMC faces intense competition for workers in Arizona, especially from semiconductor producer Intel, the report states. Construction on the US plant started last June, and is the company's most advanced chip facility outside of Asia. After chip-making equipment is installed, it normally takes a year for operations to begin. The company expects production at the plant to start in the first quarter of 2024.
Date: March 14, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 22 starting at 9 a.m. The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Individuals interested in attending the meeting virtually should contact Kurt Winter
via email. Attendees can access the meeting through
Google Meet or by phone: (US) +1 414-909-5163 PIN: 441 427 157#
Date: February 16, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey joined innovators and entrepreneurs who help drive Arizona's technology and innovation ecosystem at the CONVERGE Tech Summit on February 9, according to a news release.
Arizona's technology sector is one of the state's fastest growing in the economy. Recent successes include bringing companies like ElectraMeccanica, KORE Power, Lucid Motors, and TSMC to Arizona.
Date: February 16, 2022
The nation's first fully-automated trucking route, which is between Phoenix and Tucson, will haul freight for the Union Pacific Railroad. It's one of the first significant plans for the autonomous "Driver Out" semi-truck, azfamily.com reports.
The company TuSimple will run the route between the two metro areas. TuSimple conducted its first no-human road test along the route successfully in December.
Date: February 16, 2022
A new facility on the Navajo Nation reservation Kayenta will provide solar power to an Arizona utility, the AP reports. The agreement is between the Salt River Project and the Nation, which together have already partnered on two other solar facilities that send power to 28,500 homes and businesses on the reservation.
The new facility will produce 200 megawatts of energy for SRP. Construction is expected to start this month. The project will employ 400 people and individuals who are Navajo will be given preference.
Date: February 16, 2022
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, February 22 starting at 9 a.m. The meeting agenda and other related information can be accessed here.
Individuals interested in attending the meeting virtually should contact Kurt Winter via email. Attendees can access the meeting through Google Meet or by phone: (US) +1 414-909-5163 PIN: 441 427 157#
Date: February 16, 2022
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Director of Transportation & Mobility
Tucson, AZ
Geotechnical Engineer (P.E.)
Mesa, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: January 19, 2022
Governor Doug Ducey recently announced a plan to invest $1 billion to secure Arizona's water future for the next 100 years, according to a news release.
The investment, which will be further detailed in the governor's budget proposal, seeks to make Arizona more resilient to drought, secure a sustainable water future, and allow for continued growth by:
- Building upon last year's investment to the drought mitigation fund with an additional $1 billion general fund investment over the next three years;
- Laying the groundwork for new large scale water augmentation projects;
- Encouraging further reuse and efficiency with current supplies; and
- Leading to the further integration of latest technologies, including desalination, into Arizona's water portfolio.
Date: January 19, 2022
In December, the Arizona Corporation Commission adopted a comprehensive transportation electrification plan for the state. The bipartisan plan calls for putting approximately 1 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030. The Commission comprises Arizona Public Service Company, Tucson Electric Power Company, and UNS Electric Inc.
The statewide electrification plan aims to encourage adoption of electric vehicles across all vehicle classes, including light duty vehicles, medium duty parcel delivery trucks, transit buses, and school buses. Also, the intent is to increase the continued build-out of charging infrastructure. The plan will focus on working collaboratively with local and state government entities, community stakeholders, and manufacturers to achieve increased transportation electrification in Arizona.
Date: January 19, 2022
On the heels of announcing a new large-scale, solar-powered battery storage project, Salt River Project has also announced it is contracting with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources to purchase the energy from a 161-megawatt (MW) wind resource, "Babbitt Ranch Energy Center," to be built on Babbitt Ranch's property in Coconino County. The project, which will be located north of Flagstaff, is scheduled to begin delivering clean energy onto SRP's power grid by December 2023.
"Nearly 50% of the energy delivered to SRP customers by 2025 will be carbon-free," said Kelly Barr, SRP's chief strategy, corporate services and sustainability executive. "Wind power from this project will bring more diversity to our resource mix which is growing rapidly in clean energy generation."
The center represents SRP's newest wind contract and will produce enough energy to power about 40,000 typical residential homes.
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Geotechnical Engineer (P.E.)
Mesa, AZ
Senior Fire Alarm Design Supervisor
Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: December 15, 2021
NSPE-AZ will host its next Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, December 16 starting at 11:30 a.m. (MT).
Access the NSPE-AZ website for information on upcoming events.
Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility Tour Recap
Members of NSPE-AZ recently took a tour of the Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility. The Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility (located at 6860 S Power Road) is a 50-acre multi-use joint police and fire training facility designed to meet the current and future specialized training needs of public safety personnel. The tour was hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona. Access photos of the tour here.
Date: December 15, 2021
A recent report that evaluated hundreds of US metro areas ranked Phoenix No. 22 and Tucson No. 39 in clean technology innovation, the Business Journals reported. The Cleantech Innovation Hubs Survey was done by Colorado venture capital and research firm Saoradh Enterprise Partners, which ranked the nation's top 40 cities on their involvement in clean technology solutions that "improve environmental sustainability related to aggregate human welfare and functioning natural ecosystems."
The national drive toward clean tech has consistently gained traction in recent years due to lawmakers' push to fight climate change.
Date: December 15, 2021
Extreme drought could impact an Arizona dam's ability to create electricity in coming years, according to the Associated Press. Federal officials have said there is a 34% chance that the Glen Canyon Dam on the Arizona-Utah border won't be able to generate energy in 2023 if current weather conditions persist.
Compared to last year, the total amount of hydropower produced in the US is expected to decline by 14% in 2021, the Energy Information Administration recently reported. Most hydropower is produced in southwestern states and in the Pacific Northwest. A decline in hydropower will strain the already overwhelmed electric grid in the Southwest.
Date: December 15, 2021
The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will pay to repair and rebuild roads and bridges in Arizona with a focus on climate change mitigation, resilience, equity, and safety for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians.
There are 132 bridges and over 3,193 miles of highway in poor condition in Arizona, according to the US Department of Transportation. Since 2011, commute times have increased by 11.1% in Arizona, and on average, each driver pays $614 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. The state is expected to receive approximately $5.3 billion over five years in federal highway formula funding for highways and bridges.
In addition, the state will receive about $903 million over five years to improve public transportation options. Funding will also cover modernization of freight rail, increased EV charging options, airport improvements, and other infrastructure updates.
Date: December 15, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Senior Civil Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: November 17, 2021
NSPE-AZ will host its next Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, November 18 starting at 11:30 a.m. (MT).
Access the NSPE-AZ website for information on upcoming events.
Date: November 17, 2021
In August, drought conditions and low reservoir levels led the federal government to make the first-ever shortage declaration for the Colorado River. This declaration didn't come as a surprise to professional engineers who are working on solutions for life with less water.
In the latest PE cover feature, Troy Hayes, P.E., director of the Phoenix Water Services Department, discusses how the department is managing water resources and infrastructure to improve water delivery. If there's one thing that Arizonans understand, says Hayes, it's the great value of water. "Because water in everybody's community is the foundation of public health, economic opportunity, and the quality of life, we took it upon ourselves to make sure that we [maintain] a reliable water delivery system."
Read more.
Date: November 17, 2021
Chandler-based Local Motors has created an interactive, self-driving car that can carry up to 12 people. The sustainable vehicle contains some 3D-printed parts and can be summoned to a person's location using an app, techaz.org reports. Olli is the first vehicle to use the cloud-based cognitive computing capability of IBM Watson IoT to synthesize and use large amounts of transportation data.
"Olli," as the car is called, could be used to help people avoid the Arizona summer heat by driving them from home to a bus stop, or across large parking lots at places like amusement parks. "Olli solves the first and last mile problem of transportation," Local Motors Public Relations Manager Jacqueline Keidel told TechAZ.
Date: November 17, 2021
Construction of a new 504-MW DC solar project in Arizona will begin in early 2022, according to Renewables Now. Moss Solar is acting as the engineering, procurement, and construction contractor for the project, and solar tracking systems maker FTC Solar will provide necessary equipment.
The solar and energy storage project will be located in Maricopa County, and will have a capacity of up to 504 megawatts DC of clean, renewable, solar power, combined with 260 megawatts AC of energy storage. It represents a significant capital investment in Arizona beyond PV panels and batteries. The complex is planned to enter commercial operations in 2023.
Date: November 17, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration held meetings on October 21 and November 2. The meeting agendas and audio can be accessed here. The board will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 7.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance and are advised to read the meeting agenda prior to making a request. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: November 17, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Assistant City Engineer
Mesa, AZ
Northern Regional Transportation Engineer (P.E.)
Prescott Valley, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: October 20, 2021
Join members of NSPE-AZ on a tour of the Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility on Thursday, October 21. The tour, hosted by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Arizona, will take place 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (MT) and will include a boxed lunch for attendees. Register now.
The Gilbert Public Safety Training Facility, located at 6860 S Power Road, is a 50-acre multi-use joint police and fire training facility designed to meet the current and future specialized training needs of public safety personnel.
Access the NSPE-AZ website for information on upcoming events.
Date: October 20, 2021
Electrical contracting company Helix Electric has outgrown its facilities in California and plans to build a manufacturing plant in Goodyear, Arizona. The project should create 100 jobs, areadevelopment.com reports.
The 112,000-square-foot facility will house the manufacture of building components for electrical construction. The fabricated parts will be shipped around the country. Helix focuses on design-build and highly complex electrical projects.
In Arizona, the manufacturing sector has grown by about 2% since March of 2021, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Date: October 20, 2021
The Arizona Department of Water Resources Director Tom Buschatzke testified recently before the US Senate's Subcommittee on Water and Power, describing Arizona's long history of water conservation and groundwater management while also illustrating the drought-related challenges currently facing the Colorado River states. In particular, he focused on those challenges affecting Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which are experiencing historic drops in surface levels.
"The cause of the decline is over-allocation of the river and drought-induced reductions in the annual average flow of the river," Buschatzke told the panel, a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources. "This trend is one that water managers must take into account as we plan for the future of the Colorado River," he said. His full testimony can be found here.
Date: October 20, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration held a meeting on Tuesday, September 28. The meeting agenda and audio can be accessed here. The board will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 2.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance and are advised to read the meeting agenda prior to making a request. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: October 20, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Transportation Director
Glendale, AZ
Executive Director
Phoenix, AZ
Senior Civil Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: September 15, 2021
Twenty years later, engineering students continue to learn from the structural factors that contributed to the collapse of World Trade Center buildings following the airplane impacts on 9/11, according to ASU News.
"The World Trade Center was a brilliant design," said Barzin Mobasher, an Arizona State University civil engineering professor who includes a section on the collapse as a learning tool in his upper-level undergraduate course in design of steel structures.
"It was a marvel given the resources, boldness, confidence and optimism of the engineers who designed and built it. The building worked." Mobasher said. "It was the pride of New York, and rightfully so."
But engineers aren't prescient, and designing around a possible terrorist attack by commercial airliners wasn't built into the WTC safety package. Acknowledging that design engineers can't predict every possible scenario that could have impact on any structure, Mobasher asserts that future engineers need to assess possible derivations and consider possible failures at each point in the design process.
"We study the lessons we learned in terms of the design of structures," Mobasher said of his course content. "The forensic analyses from the WTC are a window to the importance of evaluating all potential modes of failure."
Read more.
Date: September 15, 2021
Desert Mountain Energy, based in Vancouver, British Columbia, plans to drill for helium in northeastern Arizona, according to the Journal of Petroleum Technology. Helium, used for wide-ranging processes including welding, the cooling of MRI machines, microchip manufacturing, and rocket launches, is expensive and supplies are dwindling.
Arizona's Holbrook Basin historically has been a significant source for the element, and Desert Mountain has found promising signs of reserves there. In March, the company purchased 40 acres in the central part of the basin, where it plans to build a helium processing facility in late 2021, in addition to a solar plant for green power generation.
Date: September 15, 2021
A company that builds car electrification kits plans to install a new head office and production center in Gilbert. Zero Electric Vehicles, currently based in Tempe, says the move to Gilbert will bring 300 EV jobs to the area, according to ABC-15.
The new 103,000-square-foot production space will facilitate the creation of EV conversion kits for vehicles that currently run on gasoline, the station reports. The company also plans to eventually build its own electric vehicles. EV advocates in Phoenix hope the metro area will become a hub for electric vehicle production.
Date: September 15, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, September 28. The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance and are advised to read the meeting agenda prior to making a request. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: September 15, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Assistant Town Engineer
Fountain Hills, AZ
Supervising Engineer
Mesa, AZ
Senior Engineer – Signal Systems
Chandler, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: August 18, 2021
NSPE-AZ members recently celebrated the contributions of the profession during the sixth annual PE Day. But don't wait until next year's national event to show off this commitment to the profession. NSPE President Rick Guerra, P.E., F.NSPE, believes that proud members of the NSPE community can do so in the following ways all year round:
- Introduce yourselves as Licensed Professional Engineers
- Get to know your fellow PEs
- Use #ProudPE in your communications and social media posts
US Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema released statements following the Senate's passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to highlight the investments that will benefit Arizona.
The following are some of the investments that are featured in the legislation
- $110 billion to repair bridges and roads and for major highway projects.
- $65 billion to expand affordable, high-speed internet access, with at least $100 million expected to go to Arizona.
- $55 billion for drinking and wastewater infrastructure, with key funding for Arizona programs and projects.
- $8.3 billion for western water infrastructure, with specific funds going towards repairing aging dams in Arizona and funding the Drought Contingency Plan (among other things).
- $65 billion to improve grid reliability and resiliency and allow for the increased use of renewables, as well as a bill to expand the use of energy management initiatives.
- $39.2 billion for public transit and $66 billion for passenger and freight rail, $884.3 million of which will go to Arizona transit systems.
- $8.25 billion for wildfire management, including increasing firefighter pay and a bill to study and recommend wildland fire prevention, suppression, management, and rehabilitation policies.
- $3.85 billion for land ports of entry, including $147 million for the San Luis Port of Entry, $216 million for the new Douglas Port of Entry, and $184 million for rehabilitation at the current Douglas Port of Entry.
Date: August 18, 2021
The federal government on Monday declared a first-ever water shortage on the Colorado River, announcing mandatory cutbacks next year that will bring major challenges for Arizona farmers and reduce the water allotments of Nevada and Mexico.
The declaration of a shortage by the US Bureau of Reclamation has been anticipated for months and was triggered by the spiraling decline of Lake Mead, which stores water used by Arizona, Nevada, California, and Mexico, according to an AZCentral.com article.
The reservoir near Las Vegas has fallen to its lowest level since the Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s and is continuing to drop after years of chronic overuse and drought intensified by climate change. It now stands at just 35% of full capacity. To try to prevent Lake Mead from falling to critically low levels, state officials from Arizona, California and Nevada announced that they've begun meeting to discuss potential additional steps, which could include more water cuts.
Federal water managers said the first shortage declaration shows how severe the drought has become and how climate change is having serious effects on the river, which provides water for about 40 million people.
Read more.
Date: August 18, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, August 24 (9 a.m.). The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance and are advised to read the meeting agenda prior to making a request. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: August 18, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Deputy Director, Capital Programs
Phoenix, AZ
Traffic Engineer
Prescott, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: July 21, 2021
The State Transportation Board approved the 2022-2026 Five-Year Program, which will allow the Arizona Department of Transportation to reach its goal of allocating $320 million per year for rehabilitation of bridges and roadways throughout the state highway system.
These rehabilitation projects through the Five-Year Program will include repaving and repairing highways, along with repairing or reconstructing bridges.The plan also includes $407 million over five years for projects that improve highway safety, efficiency and functionality, such as smart technology or addition of shoulders.
The State Transportation Board's approval of the program followed a call for public comment in March and four virtual public hearings. In general, major projects begin as part of the agency's long-range visioning process, move into a six-to10-year development program and then become part of the Five-Year Program. The program is developed by working closely with local and regional planning organizations and community leaders to identify projects that are ready to build or design.
Funding for the Five-Year Program is generated by the users of transportation services, primarily through gasoline and diesel fuel taxes and the vehicle license tax. Both the Maricopa and Pima County regions have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales taxes that allow for more expansion projects to take place in those areas.
Read more.
Date: July 21, 2021
Construction of the University of Arizona's new $85 million Applied Research Building (ARB) is in full swing. The ARB will house research that advances applied physical sciences and engineering and is expected to be completed in January 2023.
The three-story, 89,000-square-foot facility building will provide new research capabilities with state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and will bring together several interdisciplinary university programs in one location.
The ARB will connect faculty across four colleges and eight departments: the College of Engineering (Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Department of Systems and Industrial Engineering); the College of Science (Department of Astronomy and the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory); the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences; and the College of Medicine–Tucson.
The ARB will be dedicated specifically to research programs related to the "Grand Challenges" pillar of the university's strategic plan. Those grand challenges fall under areas such as space exploration, artificial intelligence, the environment and disease prevention. Although no classes will be taught in the ARB, students will be able to access the building's facilities to conduct undergraduate and graduate research.
Read more.
Date: July 21, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, July 27. The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance and are advised to read the meeting agenda prior to making a request. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: July 21, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Director of Engineering
Yuma, AZ
Civil Engineer/Project Manager
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Mechanical Engineer A/E/C
Tempe, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: June 16, 2021
Infrastructure for industry took on new importance in 2021. Natural gas, electricity, drinking water and waste removal, often taken for granted, got noticed this year. Unprecedented spring freezes changed the anonymity as vast swaths of the nation went cold and dark.
Even young Arizona, the third-youngest US state, sees its cities replacing century-old pipes under the streets in the original city cores.
"We started investing in the infrastructure of the future about 10 years ago," said Bill Jabjiniak, economic development director for Mesa. "It was a controversial move at the time putting in fiber, improving roads and getting power, sewer and water to an essentially undeveloped area. Now, new construction is starting all the time along Elliott Road because it's 'shovel ready.'"
Mesa is not alone. Torn-up streets across the Valley mean cities and private utilities are updating underground infrastructure. The electric companies are consistently adding lines to power Arizona’s growing and expanding industries.
"Whether it's infrastructure or energy, businesses are looking for reliability," said Sandra Watson, president and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority. "Arizona was recently ranked as having the second most reliable energy grid in the country. When you pair that with our abundant renewable energy and modern highways, airports, rail, ports of entry and public transportation, Arizona stands out as an ideal location for doing business in the global economy."
Read more in the Phoenix Journal.
Date: June 16, 2021
The Arizona Technology Council applauds the state's fiscal year 2022 budget package proposal. This budget invests dollars and directs policy that will support economic success and growth for many programs of immense importance to Arizona's technology sector.
"Arizona is growing at an incredibly fast pace, especially in technology-related fields, and this budget will ensure Arizona maintains and accelerates its competitiveness on a global scale while making substantial payments towards the state's debt and giving Arizonans a tax cut," said Steven G. Zylstra, the council's president and CEO, in a statement. "The Arizona Technology Council thanks Governor Ducey and the Legislature for including the council's key education, infrastructure and tech-focused priorities in this proposal, and encourages members to support these provisions in the final budget package."
Key council priorities funded in this budget package proposal are
- Increased funding for universities, including $130 million in new higher-education investments.
- Restoration of fourth-year Career Technical Education District (CTED) funding.
- An additional $50 million appropriation for the Arizona Competes Fund.
- $2.5 million for a Dark Skies Discovery Center.
- $140 million dedicated funding for broadband infrastructure across the state, with an emphasis on rural Arizona.
- Reduction in the Class 1 commercial property tax assessment ratio from 18% to 17% over two years.
- Investment in Arizona's highway infrastructure to support commerce.
- K-12 education investments, including new school construction, a building renewal fund, full funding for district and charter assistance, and the provision of gap funding for schools and students to address school budget issues that arose during the pandemic.
Date: June 16, 2021
University of Arizona associate professor Erin Ratcliff was fascinated by the work she did as a faculty fellow at the Naval Research Lab in 2017 and again, remotely, in 2020. She wanted her engineering students to see the possibilities of similar positions.
"NRL has cutting-edge, amazing equipment and capabilities, and they have a lot of it," said Ratcliff, an associate professor of chemical and environmental engineering in the UArizona College of Engineering. "They're doing all kinds of highly classified science and technology development–from fundamental concepts to things that almost seem like science fiction."
Ratcliff and a team of engineering researchers have created a unique program at the university that builds a bridge between students and government research jobs.
EMPOWER STEM, funded by $748,000 from the Office of Naval Research, creates connections between Navy scientists and UArizona students and faculty. The program gives students opportunities to learn about the engineering behind the latest technologies in the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy. In return, government labs gain access to a well-prepared, diverse pool of potential employees.
Read more.
Date: June 16, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Manager, Engineering and Design
Phoenix, AZ
Engineer
Chandler, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: May 18, 2021
On May 10, Governor Doug Ducey signed legislation (H.B. 2596) that allows private broadband providers to install, operate and maintain telecommunications equipment within the Arizona Department of Transportation's (ADOT) rights-of-way. It also allows ADOT to grant access to its own broadband conduit to private telecommunications companies in a non-exclusive and non-discriminatory manner—reducing the cost of installing rural broadband infrastructure.
Additionally, the legislation creates the "Smart Highway Trust Fund" to deposit leasing revenues generated from the use of ADOT rights-of-way, which are to be used for operation and maintenance of telecommunications facilities within ADOT's rights-of-way.
Read more.
Date: May 18, 2021
Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers publishes a Report Card for America's Infrastructure. This comprehensive assessment evaluates the performance and capacity of our national road network, rail system, bridges, ports, drinking water, wastewater and other key resources.
Results are consistently gloomy. For more than two decades, the United States has averaged "D" grades on these engineering report cards. The 2021 report shows a "C-minus," which indicates improvement. But the ASCE notes that our national infrastructure still suffers grave shortcomings that represent risks to America's economy, security and public health.
"Funding infrastructure is a significant problem in part because we've let deficiencies accumulate over time. We spend only when we have to fix something," said Brad Allenby, a President's Professor of civil, environmental and sustainable engineering in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
"Of course, that is a very expensive way to manage infrastructure. It means that we're always tackling significant problems, whether it's roads that become essentially impassable because of potholes or fragmentation of the power grid, the consequences of which Texas suffered very recently," Allenby said. "We continually 'fix' our infrastructure systems, but we don’t invest to bring them up to necessary standards. That needs to change."
Read more.
Date: May 18, 2021
A new report identifies 22 shovel ready, high-voltage transmission projects—including three in Arizona—that, if constructed, would create approximately 1,240,000 American jobs and lead to 60,000 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity, increasing America's wind and solar generation by nearly 50%. The report outlines how these projects could begin construction soon if more workable transmission policies are enacted.
These regional and interregional transmission lines would not only bring quality wind and solar resources to areas with high demand but also increase economic development and grid resilience as well as provide cost-savings for consumers.
Read more
Date: May 18, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, May 25. The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you're interested in attending remotely.
Date: May 18, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Water/Wastewater Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Beavers-Ames Lecturer (all ranks) in Heavy/Civil Construction
Tempe, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: April 21, 2021
On April 19, NSPE’s Government Relations staff announced the Top Advocates for April, who are being recognized for their March advocacy activity.
NSPE-AZ member Scott Wertel, P.E., and seven other NSPE members achieved this top status by consistently participating in the NSPE Advocacy Center campaigns during the month of March.
Each NSPE Advocacy Center campaign is worth a certain number of points. The more campaigns a member participates in, the more points he or she earns. At the end of each month, staff tabulates the total number of points each participating member has accumulated. The top point-earners are recognized the following month.
As a thank you for their high level of engagement and commitment to the profession, all top performers have been invited to an exclusive online event with NSPE and state society staff.
Date: April 21, 2021
Just over a year ago, governments around the world issued stay-at-home orders, significantly changing day-to-day lives in an instant. Working from home, postponing travel, having groceries delivered to front doors and ordering "to go" at restaurants are just a few ways many habits have changed. But which of these changes are likely to be maintained in a post-COVID-19 world?
Researchers from Arizona State University (alongside colleagues from the University of Illinois Chicago) conducted a nationwide survey to measure the potential for lasting changes and what they could mean for our cities, according to an ASU News report.
"Many observers have put forth ideas about how the pandemic will change how we live for the long term, but nobody that we've seen has concrete evidence to support or refute these predictions," said Deborah Salon, associate professor in ASU's School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning and co-principal investigator of the COVIDFuture Survey. "We collected the data in order to provide this evidence, and we are sharing it so that it can be used to help plan for what's next."
The COVIDFuture research team—which also includes Sybil Derrible, co-principal investigator and associate professor from the University of Illinois Chicago, and Ram Pendyala, professor with ASU's School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment— collected online survey responses from over 8,700 adults across the US and weighted the dataset to be representative of the US adult population, according to the report.
The group is now releasing the full de-identified Wave 1 dataset to be used by city planners, businesses, researchers, and others interested in understanding how people's choices in the US have evolved during the pandemic and their expectations for the future. The data include information about travel-related behaviors and attitudes.
Read more.
Date: April 21, 2021
Major mining operations worldwide are becoming safer and more sustainable with the use of new and emerging technologies designed specifically for the sector, according to an AZ Biz Media report. Leading the way? Arizona companies and University of Arizona researchers who are making the industry safer, sustainable—and profitable.
Climate change is inspiring these companies and researchers to find solutions, said Claudio Cossio, project manager for Stantec Mining, a global mining technologies firm headquartered in Chandler that provides technology solutions focused on sustainability for every stage of operation, from mine exploration to closure and reclamation.
Investors are also demanding it. They want to see a positive return, not just on financial performance, but on keeping the planet safe, Cossio said.
"Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is becoming like safety in the mining industry. Right now, it's still a priority, but it's becoming more ingrained as a core value as part of our culture. A lot of the major mining corporations are setting pretty high goals to get to net-zero emissions by 2030 or 2040, depending on the mining company," he said.
Read more.
Date: April 21, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, April 27. The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you’re interested in attending remotely.
Date: April 21, 2021
NSPE's Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today's top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Traffic Design Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Civil Engineer PE
Avondale, AZ
Engineer for the Town of Carefree
Carefree, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: March 17, 2021
Arizona state officials said $230 million has been proposed for a series of transportation investments, including support for Interstate10 Gila River Bridge construction and varied road repaving projects, according to a Transportation Today article.
“Despite the pandemic, Arizona’s economy is strong and families and businesses continue to relocate here in record numbers,” Governor Doug Ducey said during the recent announcement with Arizona Department of Transportation personnel. “Now is the right time to use our state and federal dollars to make investments that create jobs, modernize our infrastructure and improve highway safety.”
The funding allotment would involve $33 million to rebuild and widen the Gila River Bridge on I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson, paving the way for a full expansion of I-10 between the two cities; $41 million to widen US Route 93 north of Wickenburg; $40 million to add capacity to Interstate 17 north of metro Phoenix; and $117 million to improve more than 600 highway lane-miles statewide.
The funding plan is in partnership with ADOT and follows prior formal action by ADOT’s Priority Planning Advisory Committee. The proposal is slated to be presented to the State Transportation Board for consideration.
Read more.
Date: March 17, 2021
When many school children started staying home when the pandemic hit last year, the Arizona Department of Transportation launched a new outreach campaign called “ADOT Kids,” which seeks to educate children on transportation through videos, games and activities geared for them.
With National Engineers Week, ADOT Kids launched new content to get children interested in engineering as a career, including videos and activities to help kids learn about different areas of engineering. Part of the content includes Joselyn Valero, a development engineer with ADOT, who shares her story in a video to encourage kids to pursue engineering careers. “I always loved math and I wanted to be where math is a big part of it. The idea of building a bridge or a skyscraper fascinated me,” Valero said.
The program was recognized by the National Academies for Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Transportation Research Board at its annual meeting in January. It also won the 14th Annual Communicating Concepts with John and Jane Q. Public Competition which showcases creative and fresh ways of communicating technical transportation issues with a general audience.
Read more.
Date: March 17, 2021
Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, the University of Phoenix, and Maricopa Community Colleges are a sampling of another growing list—a catalog of higher education institutions that are supplying talented, forward-thinking and dynamic graduates to fuel innovation and entice new businesses to the state, according to an AZ Big Media article.
“After infrastructure, the labor supply and labor production of a market is its second most critical ingredient,” says Chris Camacho, president and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “What I’ve observed in the last decade with the manifestation of our engineering capacity within ASU, UArizona, GCU, University of Phoenix, and a lot of the regional university systems and community colleges, is we’re constantly iterating and modernizing the way that we induce curriculum to meet industry needs.”
The local markets for which Camacho refers range from healthcare and bioscience to software and cybersecurity to advanced business services and financial services to startups and advanced manufacture, to a host of operations-based industries — and then some. And, to ensure these business sectors and others receive the talent they require, higher education leaders are remaining attuned to the pulse of growing industries.
Read more.
Date: March 17, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, March 23. The meeting agenda can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you’re interested in attending remotely.
Date: March 17, 2021
NSPE’s Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today’s top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Transportation Project Manager
Phoenix, AZ
Structural Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the
NSPE Job Board.
Date: February 17, 2021
Engineers Week is a time to celebrate the important work of engineers and engage the next generation of innovators. Even with social distancing, you can make a difference. Here are a few activities that will be of interest to NSPE-AZ members.
Future of Engineering
Join NSPE leaders Tricia Hatley, P.E., F.NSPE and Rick Guerra, P.E., F.NSPE, as they discuss the future of engineering and how our changing world will impact the profession during a free webinar on Monday, February 22 (1 p.m.-2p.m. ET/10 a.m.-11 a.m. PT). Webinar participants can earn one professional development hour.
2021 NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year Award Webcast
NSPE celebrates the 2021 federal agency winners, the Top 10 Finalists, and announces the 2021 NSPE Federal Engineer of the Year via pre-recorded webcast on Wednesday, February 24 at 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT on the NSPE website and YouTube channel.
NSPE Trivia Hour
Cap off your Engineers Week with some Friday fun. Join your peers for a lively game of trivia on Friday, February 26 at 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT. The cost is just $15 for members or $25 for non-members. Sign up to show off your trivia knowledge—or just to play a fun game with new friends.
Date: February 17, 2021
In order to increase safety and mobility in highway work zones, the Arizona Department of Transportation is studying a “smart work zone” at an existing I-40 bridge project located between Flagstaff and Winslow.
A smart work zone is a traffic management system that can be controlled remotely through computer networks, portable message boards and sensor technology to provide motorists with real-time traffic information as they approach construction work zones. This project utilizes a dynamic merge system, which is a specific type of smart work zone.
The dynamic merge system is designed to mitigate the potential hazards of lane closures by altering the time to merge based on the current level of traffic. When traffic is light, electronic signs placed well ahead of the work zone encourage drivers to merge into the open lane prior to the lane closure. When traffic is heavy, the system will encourage drivers to remain in the closed lane for as long as possible in what is known as a zipper merge.
Read more.
Date: February 17, 2021
Researchers at the University of Arizona are developing a COVID-19 testing method that uses a smartphone microscope to analyze saliva samples and deliver results in about 10 minutes.
The university research team, led by biomedical engineering professor Jeong-Yeol Yoon, aims to combine the speed of existing nasal swab antigen tests with the high accuracy of nasal swab PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, tests. The researchers are adapting an inexpensive method that they originally created to detect norovirus–the microbe famous for spreading on cruise ships–using a smartphone microscope.
They plan to use the method in conjunction with a saline swish-gargle test developed by Michael Worobey, head of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and associate director of the University of Arizona BIO5 Institute.
Read more.
Date: February 17, 2021
The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying is accepting registrations for the pencil-and-paper April 2021 PE exams until March 4 (3 p.m. ET).
The exam administration will take place over two days—Thursday, April 22 and Friday, April 23. Registration for the computer-based FE and PE exams will remain open year-round.
According to NCEES, every effort will be made to accommodate all registered examinees in a manner that protects the health and safety of everyone involved. All sites for the April 2021 exam administration must operate in compliance with capacity and social distancing requirements. In most cases, this will reduce the number of examinees that can be accommodated at an exam site.
Access information for registering.
Date: February 17, 2021
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold meetings on Thursday, February 18 and Tuesday, February 23. The meeting agendas can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you’re interested in attending remotely.
Date: February 17, 2021
Do you know of engineering news in Arizona that would be great for this newsletter? Maybe it’s a project you or your firm is working on, or perhaps you read some interesting engineering news in your local newspaper. Or maybe you know of a fellow PE or student who deserves a little recognition. If so, we want to hear from you. Email your ideas to pemagazine@nspe.org.
Date: February 17, 2021
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Engineer for the Town of Carefree
Carefree, AZ
Senior Electrical Engineer
Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: January 27, 2021
Last November, Arizona’s Court of Appeals issued a memorandum decision analyzing Arizona’s Prompt Pay Act. Though the decision was not published and is not binding authority, it does guide the construction industry and practitioners as to how this court analyzed Prompt Pay Act enforcement, according to a JDSupra analysis.
To set the table, Shea Connelly Dev. LLC v. Ariz. Registrar of Contrs. was limited to a payment dispute between the general contractor Shea Connelly, and its subcontractor, Revive. The project owners effectively had no role in the dispute.
Critically for Shea Connelly’s arguments, Revive was hired to provide framing work on two separate Arizona projects, one in Glendale, and one in Fountain Hills called Park Place. The Glendale subcontract included a cross-default term providing that if Revive defaulted on any subcontract with Shea Connelly, it would be deemed to have defaulted on all of its subcontracts with Shea Connelly.
On the Glendale project, Revive never did any work. It’s not clear from the record why, but it appears that Revive was paid nearly $60,000 without doing any work on the Glendale Project. However unfair it may be, this fact had no impact on the court’s Prompt Pay Act analysis.
Read more.
Date: January 27, 2021
The University of Arizona has been awarded a four-year grant to encourage and support Diné College students to transfer to the university to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and math majors, according to an Arizona Public Media report.
The Advancing Postsecondary Attainment and Research in STEAM for Tribal Students project aims to increase the number of Native American students in STEAM majors through mentorship and other forms of institutional assistance. (The “A” in STEAM is commonly used elsewhere to refer to “arts.” )
These are the fields where some communities in tribal lands could use more experts. During the pandemic the lack of running water, electricity, food, access to health care or communication infrastructure in some Indigenous towns in Arizona have made national news.
Read more.
Date: January 27, 2021
A new report released by The Western Way, an environmental advocacy organization, and the Arizona Technology Council reveals that Arizona is on track to continue building on its booming carbon-free energy sector, according to a Chamber Business News article.
Beyond recording Arizona’s progress to this point, the report outlines recommendations that the groups hope lawmakers and policymakers will implement in order to “incorporate the energy innovation sector into Arizona’s economic recovery plan.”
According to the report authors, the innovation sector at-large is the most significant nexus between good business and good environmental stewardship.
Read more.
Date: January 27, 2021
From consumer goods to crafting American icons to operating power plants and sustaining green energy, the demand for copper is growing at greater rates than ever, according to a recent AZ Big Media article.
Recent reports demonstrate that the global need for copper is anticipated to rise by as much as 50% over the next two decades. And, guess which corner of the world holds 27.1% of the global market size in copper? The United States. Zooming in closer, you’ll see that Arizona accounts for 75% of the copper mined in the US.
So, the million-dollar question — or perhaps, more appropriately, the 28-million-tonnes question (28 million tons is the annual amount of copper in demand) is—will Arizona rise to meet the growing demand for copper? Arizona’s mining experts collectively say, “yes.”
Read more.
Date: January 27, 2021
NSPE’s Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today’s top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Beavers-Ames Lecturer in Heavy/Civil Construction
Tempe, ZA
Project Manager
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the
NSPE Job Board.
Date: December 16, 2020
Customers of Arizona Public Service Company (APS) will soon power their homes and businesses with more clean energy. Earlier this year, APS [agreed] to deliver 100% clean, carbon-free electricity to customers by 2050. By the end of 2021, APS will harness the power of Leeward Renewable Energy’s advanced GE wind turbine technology to help meet Arizona’s growing energy demands, according to a Daily Independent article.
Arizona Public Service has entered into a power purchase agreement with Leeward Renewable Energy to purchase 200 megawatts of wind energy output from their two New Mexican Aragonne Wind facilities. Leeward’s advanced GE wind turbine technology enables APS to provide renewable energy to customers and advance its bold energy commitment to deliver 100% clean, carbon-free electricity by 2050.
Read more.
Date: December 16, 2020
Four rural communities across Arizona will be getting much-needed modernization projects for aging drinking water and wastewater infrastructure to improve their drinking water quality and supply and make water usage more efficient in the era of climate change.
The US Department of Agriculture is investing $891 million to modernize rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure in 43 states including Arizona, according to a Chamber Business News report. A total of 220 projects will help improve rural water infrastructure for 787,000 residents in communities with populations of 10,000 or less.
In Arizona, aged and failing water systems will be updated in Pine-Strawberry, Mammoth, Bouse and Aguila. The projects are being funded through the federal Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant Program. The program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and stormwater drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas.
Read more.
Date: December 16, 2020
Arizona’s highway system ranks 23rd in the nation in overall cost-effectiveness and condition, according to the Annual Highway Report by the Reason Foundation. This is a six-spot improvement from the previous report, where Arizona ranked 29th.
Arizona’s best rankings, according to the report, are structurally deficient bridges, maintenance disbursements per mile, urban interstate pavement condition, and urban arterial pavement condition.
In safety and performance categories, Arizona ranks 47th in overall fatality rate, 3rd in structurally deficient bridges, 31st in traffic congestion, 10th in urban interstate pavement condition, and 37th in rural interstate pavement condition. On spending, Arizona ranks 17th in total spending per mile and 26th in capital and bridge costs per mile.
The foundation’s Annual Highway Report measures the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-controlled highways in 13 categories, including pavement condition, traffic congestion, structurally deficient bridges, traffic fatalities, and spending (capital, maintenance, administrative, overall) per mile.
Access the full report.
Date: December 16, 2020
NSPE’s Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today’s top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Engineer – Traffic Studies
Phoenix, AZ
Beavers-Ames Lecturer in Heavy/Civil Construction
Tempe, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.
Date: November 18, 2020
Tempe, Arizona was recognized as a 2020 Top STEM City for being a community showcasing exceptional dedication to science, technology, engineering, and math education and careers.
The data science team at Insurify (an insurance quotes comparison site) analyzed both proprietary and publicly accessible data to determine the top STEM city in each state. The team identified cities with the highest proportion of residents in STEM-based careers and compiled data from Niche on the colleges and graduate schools with the best programs in STEM, as well as the best cities for women in tech.
Read more.
Date: November 18, 2020
To accommodate as many pencil-and-paper examinees as safely as possible, NCEES has added a regional exam administration on January 26, 2021, for PE Civil examinees only. Phoenix, Arizona will serve as a host city.
Registration for the regional PE Civil exam administration opened on November 1, 2020, and closes on December 14, 2020, at 3 p.m. EST. The exam will be administered in Phoenix and the following cities: Pomona, CA; Denver, CO; Groton, CT; Orlando, FL; Topeka, KS; Louisville, KY; Minneapolis, MN; Raleigh, NC; Las Vegas, NV; Cleveland, OH; Salem, OR; Houston, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; and Seattle, WA.
Additional cities may be added. Visit the NCEES website for details.
Date: November 18, 2020
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 8 (9 a.m.). The meeting agenda and audio can be accessed here.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. The board uses Google Meetups for its remote meetings, which requires the meeting host to invite members to participate. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you’re interested in attending remotely.
Date: November 18, 2020
The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking community input from residents on the proposed Sonoran Corridor. The roadway would connect I-10 and I-19 near the Tucson International Airport.
According to a Pima County report, the corridor would stimulate economic growth in southern Arizona and would create an economic impact of $32 billion along with 200,000 jobs in the area.
Read more from KGUN9.
Date: November 18, 2020
Among ways being explored to combine biology and engineering to remedy a range of growing global environmental problems, algae-based solutions look especially promising.
The encouraging viewpoint stems from progress in research that is revealing how the properties of algae can be harnessed to become the driving force for a slew of productive biotechnological pursuits, according to an ASU Now article.
Some of the research findings have been the result of efforts based at the Arizona Center for Algae Technology and Innovation, or AzCATI, embedded in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
Algae is an abundant and widely varied group of aquatic organisms capable of producing oxygen through photosynthesis and thereby harvesting energy from sunlight to grow and produce a range of biochemicals.
That capability and related characteristics can make algae a useful component in the development of advanced systems for effectively treating wastewater, producing cleaner energy and new biofuels, reducing harmful carbon dioxide emissions, and improving decontamination and pollution control techniques.
Read more.
Date: November 18, 2020
NSPE’s Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today’s top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Jobs
Engineer–Capital Improvement Projects
Chandler, AZ
Project Manager/Senior Engineers
Tucson, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the
NSPE Job Board.
Date: October 28, 2020
The national business group Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) released results of a report that quantified significant economic benefits associated with investments in advanced clean energy deployment for the state of Arizona, according to a Solar Power World article.
The report, which was produced by international economics consultant Analysis Group for AEE, used an industry-standard modeling tool to estimate the impact of investing potential federal stimulus funds in advanced energy technologies, products, and services to boost economic activity in the wake of the COVID-19 slowdown.
“As Arizona, like the rest of the nation, looks to recover from the economic impacts of the coronavirus health crisis, this report shows investment in advanced energy delivers huge returns to the state’s economy, creating in-state jobs and adding much-needed tax revenues,” said J.R. Tolbert, managing director at Advanced Energy Economy. “Such public stimulus also attracts billions of dollars in private investment and saves consumers — commercial and retail alike — billions annually.”
“By investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, while accelerating the shift to zero-emission transportation, we can generate significant economic activity in the state’s hardest hit communities while also helping Arizona move toward an advanced energy future,” added Tolbert.
Read more.
Date: October 28, 2020
Long lines of passengers waiting to go through Transportation Security Administration screenings at airports can be a source of dread. The time it takes to complete the security process varies, and this can add extra stress for both passengers wanting to get to their flights and TSA officials wanting to provide a smooth and secure operation.
The Center for Accelerating Operational Efficiency (CAOE), a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence led by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University, is tackling the challenge of ensuring that TSA screenings are maximizing the efficiency of their resources, according to an October 23 ASU Now article.
Researchers at the CAOE have been developing decision-support tools to simulate, optimize, and visualize TSA security screening checkpoint operations with ever-changing passenger demands.
Read more.
Date: October 28, 2020
The Arizona State Board of Technical Registration held a meeting on Tuesday, October 27. The meeting agenda and audio can be accessed here. The board will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, December 8.
Individuals that want to attend the meeting remotely must make a request in advance. The board uses Google Meetups for its remote meetings, which requires the meeting host to invite members to participate. Contact Kurt Winter at kurt.winter@azbtr.gov if you’re interested in attending remotely.
Date: October 28, 2020
NSPE’s Job Board is your one-stop resource for professional engineering employment. Whether you are on the hunt for your next career move or looking for today’s top engineering leaders and talent, you will find it here.
NSPE provides the tools PEs need to keep current in the profession and advance their careers.
Featured Job
Senior Civil Engineer Phoenix, AZ
Find more job openings or reach the right employees on the NSPE Job Board.