Phoenix, and a predominance of Arizona, enjoys a very efficient energy use index and does not rely on the seasonal use of fossil fuels that many large cities rely on across the U.S. We operate the largest nuclear power plant in the U.S., providing more power to neighboring states than to our own. I already noted water use — which is NOT predominantly ground water, but surface water (rivers and snow melt). Surface water is THE MOST EFFICIENT of all water resources, and in Arizona it has been managed since the early 1900s through dams, reservoirs and canals. None of this discussion takes into account recycled water, which is another hallmark of how we manage water in Arizona.
The Hohokam People first dwelled here in 300 A.D., and their layout of clever canals remain even today. Phoenix is among a very few U.S. metropolitan areas that have been in continuous habitation for more than 1,700 years. That does not happen by "accident" or "whim". It happens because it continually — through many ages, including the Industrial Revolution — remains an efficient place for people to inhabit.