One of Arizona’s congressional representatives will be touring a facility expected to build and test new solar array technology.

U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) will visit the University of Arizona’s Steward Observatory Mirror Lab on August 22.

Congresswoman Giffords also plans to meet with UA officials to talk about a new solar energy research initiative that was recently awarded $1 million in funds from the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Harnessing the power of the sun is imperative for our nation as we seek to combat global climate change and reduce our dependence on foreign oil,” Rep. Giffords said. “It is a tremendous source of pride for me that advanced solar energy research is taking place in my backyard.”

According to a media release, the $1 million will go towards testing new solar array technology at the UA, where the Mirror Lab has already been credited with pioneering a new approach to photovoltaic energy.

The media release indicates that by collecting sunlight using a large area of solar collectors, the Lab strives to overcome the primary difficulty in harvesting free sunlight energy.