Cities and Counties as Agents for Change

As understanding and experience with renewable energy accumulate, some things are becoming clear. Certain policies support the spread of renewable energy installations, and others hinder it. If we’re to get off coal and oil dependency, renewables must have the greatest possible scope for growth. Here’s how to foster that growth.

Across the United States, many cities and communities are implementing green power projects and clean energy solutions. Initiatives such as the Sierra Club’s Cool Cities campaign, the Cool Counties Climate Stabilization Initiative, and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability have inspired an impressive array of clean energy programs and projects.

Local action is critical but it needs support. Four key policies usually addressed at the state or utility level are crucial to the success of local clean power projects. These are net metering, interconnection, financial incentives and electricity rates and revenue policies.

Here I focus on the first two: net metering and interconnection. They are the foundation policies for encouraging local power generation.

Read the rest of the story in the September 2008 digital issue of CitiesGoGreen.

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