The solar industry is growing at an unprecedented rate throughout the U.S. By the end of 2015, the Solar Energy Industries Association predicts there will be enough solar power capacity installed to power more than 5.8 million homes. Municipal utilities … Continue reading →
City hall employees in Falcon Heights, Minn., can call themselves sun worshippers of the safest kind: They don’t have to worry about sunburn or melanoma. According to city administrator Bart Fischer, he and his staff have been enjoying the building’s … Continue reading →
A popular mantra among the environmentally conscious during the past few decades has been a call for increased attention to renewable energy. At the same time, technological advancements in wind, solar, geothermal and hydroelectric energy, among other sustainable sources, has … Continue reading →
Solar PV (photovoltaics) is now an economically viable carbon-free energy source for municipalities to power a portion of their city’s electrical load. The economic viability of solar is a recent phenomenon in most places attributable to the downward trajectory of … Continue reading →
The bad news is, Americans generate trash. Lots of it. Now, the good news: An increasing number of municipalities are finding ways to turn that refuse into fuel, reusable material and revenue. The problem Amid the convenience of disposability and … Continue reading →
Related: Raleigh paves the way for plug-in vehicles. The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has launched a new tool to help local and regional leaders assess the readiness of their communities for the arrival of plug-in electric … Continue reading →
The cost of powering homes, farms and businesses has increased exponentially during the past 30 years. To combat the uncertainty, or in many cases to create a more “green” environment, residents and business owners have turned to solar as an … Continue reading →
Wind farms, those sprawling orchards of sleek, towering energy generators, now dot the country. Necessitated by a growing consumer demand for clean, renewable energy sources and incentivized by government subsidies and favorable tax treatment, their construction meets with general approval. … Continue reading →
City reduces vehicle lifecycle emissions 80 percent, addresses sustainability initiatives By COLIN HUWYLER, CEO | Optimus Technologies LLC Local governments are leading the way toward cleaning up the environment. One case in point is the city of Pittsburgh, Pa. While … Continue reading →
By CORYN WOLK | Research Fellow, Eneref Institute Inspired five years ago to help residents save on their energy bills while building the local economy, Milwaukee, Wis., has since become one of the surprising U.S. cities to lead the way … Continue reading →
In this edition of The Municipal, we’re taking a look at a means of energy production that’s somewhat controversial but has been consistently employed for hundreds of years, across all geographies: hydropower. Hydroelectric energy is expensive on the front end, … Continue reading →
