Cherny begins campaign for state treasurer's seat
Former assistant attorney general says Arizona lacks a long-term plan on energy

Erin Taylor
Miner Staff Reporter

Thursday, July 02, 2009

KINGMAN - If Arizona misses its chance to become a leader in solar energy, the state won't get any second chances, according to former state Assistant Attorney General Andrei Cherny.

Cherny was in town Tuesday to speak with local Democrats about his campaign for state treasurer. He said Arizona is missing out on a grand opportunity to increase state revenue by investing in solar and wind energies. "We have 330 days of concentrated sunlight a year," Cherny said. "We should be the solar state. Arizona should be ground zero for providing that energy for ourselves, our neighbors and even the rest of the country."

Arizona was 50th in the country in job creation and was first in the number of jobs lost in 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Kingman's job loss numbers mirror those of Flint, Mich., the heart of the auto industry. Cherny visited Yuma on Wednesday where unemployment is at 27 percent.

The industry leader in solar energy right now is New Jersey, Cherny said. There, lawmakers have passed large incentives for homeowners and businesses that convert to solar energy. The incentives attract business, increasing tax revenue and creating jobs, he said.

Tony Gaffke lives on the outskirts of Kingman. He said he sees all the unused land surrounding town, land unsuitable for even cattle grazing, and wonders why the land sits vacant when it could be given or sold at a reduced price to alternative energy companies.

Under current standards, preference for land like that is often given to oil exploration and mining companies, Cherny said.

"But you are mining," Gaffke said. "You're mining the sunshine.

"I understand that the technology scares some people or that they'd rather stay in the 1860s, but the future is not in the 1860s."

Cherny, a former senior speechwriter for Vice President Al Gore, announced his candidacy for state treasurer in April. He said the current budget crisis in the state's capital is evidence the system needs an overhaul.

"It's like being a firefighter," he said. "You don't want to sit around watching TV in the firehouse. You want to be out fighting the fire, and right now is just as big a fire for our state as you can think of."