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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 9, 2007

IRS Issues Application Guidance on $400 Million Round of Clean Renewable Energy Bonds

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/irs-issues-application-guidance-400-million-round-clean-renewable-energy-bonds/

On April 2nd, the Internal Revenue Service issued a notice soliciting applicants for the next round of Clean Renewable Energy Bonds allocations. The CREBs program provides governmental entities, municipal and cooperatively owned utilities an incentive to develop renewable energy projects. Ultimately, an interest free financing tool, CREBs are a substitute for renewable energy production tax incentives that these entities are not able to use because of their tax exempt status. Applications must be filed by July 13, 2007.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 6, 2007

Federal Legislation Would Modify and Extend Clean Renewable Energy Bond Program

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/federal-legislation-would-modify-and-extend-clean-renewable-energy-bond-program/

Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., recently introduced the Clean Renewable Energy for Public Power Act (H.R. 1821), which would extend and reform the Clean Renewable Energy Bond program authorizing government entities, rural cooperatives and municipally-owned electric systems to issue tax-credit bonds for renewable energy projects, as a counterpart to the production tax credit available to investor-owned utilities and other renewable energy project developers.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Apr 5, 2007

Weighing the Economic Impact of Big-Box Development

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/weighing-economic-impact-bigbox-development/

Many local officials would undoubtedly reconsider big-box projects if they knew that a new mega-store would eliminate more jobs than it creates, or that it would cost the city more in public services than it generates in tax revenue . But most cities do not assess the likely economic impacts of retail development. They assume that these stores expand the local economy and approve them blind to the potential costs. Legislation under consideration in Maine would remedy this by stipulating that cities may approve stores over 75,000 square feet only after an independent economic analysis is conducted. Continue reading

Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Apr 3, 2007

David Morris on WCCO’s Good Question – Why are Gas Prices so Volatile?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/david-morris-wccos-good-question-why-are-gas-prices-so-volatile/

ILSR’s Vice President, David Morris, was interviewed on WCCO’s "Good Question" segment that answered why gas prices are volatile.  Segment aired April 3, 2007 Continue reading

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Mar 28, 2007

Keep Your Eyes on the Size: The impossibility of a green Wal-Mart

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/keep-your-eyes-size-impossibility-green-walmart/

Walmart’s sustainability campaign cannot be dismissed as greenwashing. It’s actually far more dangerous than that. Wal-Mart’s initiatives have just enough meat to have distracted much of the environmental movement, along with most journalists and many ordinary people, from the fundamental fact that, as a system of distributing goods to people, big-box retailing is as intrinsically unsustainable as clear-cut logging is as a method of harvesting trees. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 28, 2007

Wal-Mart Pushes to Dismantle British Planning Law

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/walmart-pushes-dismantle-british-planning-law/

The provision of planning policy that Wal-Mart wants to see scrapped is known as the “needs test.” It says that communities may approve large out-of-town stores only if there is a demonstrable need for new retail and there is no way to satisfy that need with development in or adjacent to the town center. Continue reading

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 27, 2007

25 by ’25: Getting the Priorities Right

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/25-25-getting-priorities-right/

A recent speech by ILSR Vice President, David Morris, focuses on ways to ensure that our nation’s move to have 25 percent of our energy consumption come from renewable energy by 2025 will maximize the benefits to the communities in which these fuels are produced and harvested.

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Article, Resource filed under General | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Mar 23, 2007

David Morris on WCCO’s Good Question – What If We All Drive 55?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/david-morris-wccos-good-question-what-if-we-all-drive-55/

ILSR’s Vice President, David Morris, was interviewed as part of a segment on WCCO’s "Good Question" segment that dealt with the question of driving 55 MPH to save energy.  Segment aired March 23, 2007. Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Mar 19, 2007

Giving tax breaks where credits are due

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/giving-tax-breaks-where-credits-are-due/

Giving tax breaks where credits are due President Bush’s health care plan underscores the dilemma with tax incentives: They tend to treat the rich rather than the problem. By David Morris, originally published in the Mineapolis Star Tribune, March 19, 2007 Critics of George Bush’s proposal to expand the number of Americans with health insurance… Continue reading

Article filed under The Public Good | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Mar 12, 2007

Al Gore’s Carbon Solution Won’t Stop Climate Change

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/al-gores-carbon-solution-wont-stop-climate-change/

At the Oscars, former Vice President Al Gore and megastar actor Leonardo DiCaprio informed a billion viewers that this was the first"green Oscar," at least with respect to global warming. The hosts had purchased sufficient greenhouse gas offsets to allow them to free the event of any responsibility for increasing greenhouse gases.

Twodays later, Al Gore and emission offsets were again in the news when reports circulated that his Nashville house consumed 20 times more energy than a typical house. His spokesman responded: The Gore family had purchased green electricity and carbon offsets in sufficient quantities to render the house’s net contribution to global warming as zero.

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