Adelita Grijalva Win in AZ-07 a Victory in Defense of Clean Energy Jobs
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PHOENIX—Climate Power congratulates Adelita Grijalva on her victory in Arizona’s 7th Congressional District special election, becoming the first Latina elected to represent Arizona in Congress and underscoring the district’s vital role in building the clean energy economy and continuing her father’s legacy as an environmental champion.
Arizona’s 7th district is among the top five nationwide for solar capacity, with 1.37 gigawatts of operating clean energy powering nearly 400,000 homes and another gigawatt in development. Since new clean energy investments were passed in 2022, private companies have invested more than $3.4 billion in the district, creating 2,850 new clean energy jobs—but President Trump and the Republican Congress have been doing everything they can to rip all of that away.
“Adelita Grijalva’s leadership comes at a pivotal moment,” said Diali Ávila, Arizona State Director. “Families in Southern Arizona are facing rising energy costs and extreme heat made worse by climate change. The clean energy economy—already bringing billions in investment and thousands of good-paying jobs to this district—is the answer for lower costs and good-paying jobs, but Republicans in Congress are determined to strip it away from Arizona families.
“We look forward to working with Representative-elect Grijalva to stand up and defend a healthier, more affordable future for Arizona.”
Major clean energy projects in AZ-07 include:
- American Battery Factory’s Tucson gigafactory, a $1.2 billion investment creating 1,000 jobs.
- South32’s Hermosa critical minerals project in Nogales, a $2.2 billion project supporting over 1,000 jobs and domestic EV supply chains.
- JA Solar’s Phoenix facility, adding more than 600 jobs producing high-efficiency solar panels.
These investments build resilience in one of the fastest-warming regions in the country, where Tucson has already heated up 4.5 degrees since 1970 and Pima and Pinal counties face increasing drought, wildfire, and air pollution risks. But they are all at risk under Trump’s war on clean energy.
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