Sam George

A day after the Arizona primaries, Two Republican candidates for the Arizona Corporation Commission are still waiting to see which of them will be on the general election ballot.

Barry Wong currently leads John Allen by 1,000 votes, out of more than 720,000 votes cast. Only 13 precincts, or .6 percent of total precincts, have yet to report, but those votes could make the difference.

There are three seats on the ACC to fill, meaning three slots open on the general election ballot for both the Republicans and Democrats.

Arizona state Reps. Bob Stump (R-Peoria) and Marian McClure (R-Tucson) have already earned their places on the November ballot in the Republican column, grabbing 21.5 percent and 14.7 percent of the vote respectively. After a close race for third on the Democratic side, the slate is set as Sam George, Laura Kennedy and Paul Newman.

Over half the votes have been counted in the Arizona Corporation Commission Democratic primary, and Sandra Kennedy so far tops the four-person field with 31 percent.

At 54 percent of returns in, Paul Newman is holding onto second place at 26 percent, and Sam George and Kara Kelty are within one point of each other, with George leading Kelty 22 percent to 21 percent.

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle GiffordsTUCSON -- The Southern Arizona Solar Energy Development Conference, brought over 100 elected officials, industry leaders and public administrators to the Arizona Historical Society Monday, provided more than a comprehensive look at the state of solar energy development in southern Arizona. It was a public declaration of the strength of the solar movement among leading political figures, prefiguring a spate of potential battles to come between those who prioritize solar development and those who don’t.

Lawmakers and their election year opponents are debating the nation’s energy future in all 50 states and the nation’s capitol, with all agreeing that there is a looming crisis but with little consensus on solutions.

In southern Arizona, which experiences more sunshine than any other region in the nation, the political ramifications of solar development are serious. As expected, the race to fill three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission, which oversees the state’s public utilities and is intimately involved in shaping Arizona’s energy policy, has and will continue to feature the question of renewable energy sources, solar chief among them.