With another record summer, and more records breaking this fall, Arizonans are feeling the heat from a changing climate.
While the state is also on the frontlines for the effects of climate change, there is also work being done here on the solutions.
Inside a massive plant in Pinal County, the Nikola Corporation says they are producing about 200 zero-emission semi-trucks a year.
“This is the only place we make our product," Lee Godown with the Nikola Corporation said.
Godown says they are manufacturing in Arizona because of the business-friendly policies, and also says the company has benefitted from Federal tax credits given to customers who buy their trucks.
These trucks are already driving on the roads, and are a potential game-changer for emissions.
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A study in Maricopa County estimated nearly half of the Valley’s greenhouse gases come from cars, buses, and trucks alone.
“It’s going to clean the air all over the country, and that’s what we’re about," Godown said.
Mining the lithium to make EV batteries does require a lot of water, but Godown said that is not happening at the Pinal County plant.
"The mining is not happening in Pinal County," Godown said. "We make zero withdrawals for manufacturing processes."
The organization 'Elders Climate Action' went on a recent tour of the facility.
“Our big concern is that the youth don’t feel left to solve this crisis alone,” Jen Chandler said.
Chandler says seeing this facility in Arizona does give her hope for future generations.
“It’s not that we need to change today, but we do need to take that step forward and get on that trajectory," Chandler said.
