At Local First Arizona, we have spent more than two decades making the case that strong, resilient communities are built from the inside out. The businesses, farms, nonprofits and neighborhoods that make Arizona worth living in don’t just happen, they require intentional investment, thoughtful policy and leadership willing to bring everyone to the table.

Governor Katie Hobbs’ Arizona Energy Promise Taskforce has done exactly that.

The resulting report is a significant milestone, one that Local First Arizona helped shape. Its 31 consensus-driven recommendations reflect input from 36 members, including private-sector leaders, consumer advocates, tribal representatives, nonprofits, utilities, and state agencies. Kimber Lanning, Founder & CEO served on the Governor's Arizona Energy Promise Taskforce, and Vice President of Resiliency Programs Ginger Sykes Torres contributed to one of its working committees. Such rare and broad agreement among typically divergent stakeholders is a point of serious consideration, and one we are proud to support.

Rising energy costs in Arizona are putting increasing pressure on businesses, with projections estimating rates could climb up to 47% by 2050. For companies operating on tight margins, this volatility threatens both profitability and long-term sustainability. Obodo Energy offers a solution through commercial and industrial clean energy systems, including solar, battery storage and energy efficiency upgrades, helping businesses reduce costs and gain more control over their energy future. By investing in scalable solar solutions—the fastest and most cost-effective clean energy option—Arizona businesses can hedge against rising utility rates, improve operational predictability and strengthen their commitment to sustainable practices.

Forestdale Farm, a Flagstaff-based regenerative farm, is reducing energy costs and strengthening long-term resilience by installing a solar array with support from Local First Arizona. Through the Green Business Boot Camp, a federal REAP grant and a low-interest bridge loan, farm owner Rylan Morton-Starner is replacing costly generator fuel with clean energy — lowering expenses, eliminating emissions and gaining greater control over operating costs at a critical moment for rural food producers.

Arizona’s landscapes tell our story — from desert trails and riverbanks to neighborhood parks and small-town main streets. Keeping those places clean, healthy and accessible doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because communities show up to help clean up.

That’s where Keep Arizona Beautiful comes in.

It takes effort to find the perfect gift for someone. That’s why it would be nice if the gift had a little staying power, too. If the gift itself could give or somehow give back. When you shop locally, you’re already checking one “give back” box by keeping money in the local economy.

And when you shop locally at a business that reinvests its profits in people, the planet or the community, you’re making sure you’re giving gifts with even more impact. If this is the way you’re approaching your holiday shopping season, you’re in luck, because Arizona is a hotspot for mission-driven businesses that are creating social, environmental or cultural ripples with every sale. 

If you’re looking to gift like you mean it this year, by wrapping up gifts that create a lasting impact, here are a few local options you might want to consider. 

From outdoor classrooms to solar-powered EVs, Mexicayotl Academy is living its sustainability values — while navigating the real cost of clean energy policy rollbacks.

The Friends of the Verde River’s River-Friendly Living grants program awards residential, commercial and agricultural grants to assist eligible grantees with implementing projects that improve water conservation efforts.

A rural school district in northern Arizona will save hundreds of thousands of dollars by using a federal grant to purchase an electric bus for its students. The district plans to use the savings to make improvements on campus.

When Matt McMahon sold the Outback Steakhouses he owned, he thought he was exiting the restaurant business for good. But SK Oils, Inc., a Glendale-based oil packaging and distribution company, pulled him back in. 

A federal grant is helping Gila County protect rural towns like Superior, Globe and Miami from the growing risk of flash floods after a trio of wildfires caused damage to the landscape.

The county will map the likely routes of post-wildfire flooding and mudslides using $250,000 from the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

A 40-year-old bridge in southern Arizona will soon receive a much-needed, multi-million-dollar overhaul to serve the community of Rio Rico, near the U.S.-Mexico border.

With support from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the new bridge will be the largest project in Santa Cruz County and improve 911 response times for a growing rural community.

Millions of dollars in federal funding are available for rural, tribal and agricultural business owners to install solar, purchase new energy-efficient equipment and save on utility bills. Local First Arizona is now offering free help to apply for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Demand for workers to fill clean energy jobs is growing twice as fast as for other careers. Now a community college serving rural southern Arizona is launching programs to train and develop this new workforce with millions in federal funding.

A $9 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Energy through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will equip the Hopi Tribe with a solar system to allow emergency services to operate 24/7. The tribe currently depends on unreliable, polluting diesel generators to power its government complex.

Volunteers with Local First Arizona’s Keep Arizona Beautiful campaign participated in the 2024 Great American Cleanup. They cleared 1,000 pounds of trash and 100 pounds of scrap metal from a river bed in Superior.

Click to find out how to join our next cleanup!

FilterClean, a Local First Arizona Certified Green Business, is now offering mobile pick-up and drop-off services to reach its goal of saving Valley pool owners as much as 2 billion gallons of water each year. Here’s how.

A rural Arizona inn found a way to install solar panels affordably and save $10,000 a year on energy bills with help from a federal grant and tax credits.

“One day, $32,000 appeared in our checking account, and we were like, ‘Whoa it’s time to celebrate!’” Pines Inn and Suites owner Anna May Cory said. “For us, that was quite impressive.”

The funding was made possibIe through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

In a region that grows as quickly as the Valley, construction has a considerable environmental impact.

But some architectural firms are focused on minimizing waste, lowering carbon emissions and making sustainability a selling point.

Meet two Local First Arizona members making architecture more sustainable.

From shutting down during the pandemic to becoming the first Nepali restaurant to serve at the Super Bowl, Mr. Momo is no stranger to reinvention. “If you have to pivot or take a pause, there’s no shame in doing that,” says owner Subash Yavad. “I sometimes question myself. Is it worth the struggle? Am I doing the right thing? But I am — because I chose to follow my passion.”

Businesses are always looking to stand out from the crowd. Here’s 5 businesses that are doing just that by becoming Arizona Green Business Certified. Just how do they stand out? Setting an example with sustainable business practices.