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Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by David Morris | No Comments | Updated on Mar 28, 2006

The Once and Future Carbohydrate Economy

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/once-and-future-carbohydrate-economy/

The carbohydrate economy could transform agriculture as well as energy, reviving producer co-ops, and giving farmers a hedge against voilatile commodity prices. For the first time in 60 years, the carbohydrate economy is back on the public-policy agenda. It is an exciting historical opportunity, but one we should approach with deliberation and foresight.

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Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 22, 2006

Damariscotta, Maine, Rejects Wal-Mart, Endorses Size Cap

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/damariscotta-maine-rejects-walmart-endorses-size-cap/

On Tuesday, voters in the small town of Damariscotta, Maine, overwhelmingly approved a local law barring stores over 35,000 square feet (about the size of a medium grocery store). The vote puts an end to Wal-Mart’s plans to build a 187,000-square-foot supercenter in this village of just 2,000 people. Continue reading

Article filed under Independent Business | Written by Stacy Mitchell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 20, 2006

Vermont Senate Passes Big-Box Bill

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/vermont-senate-passes-bigbox-bill/

By a wide margin, the Vermont Senate endorsed a bill that would require any proposed big-box store in the state to undergo an economic and community impact analysis. Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Becca | No Comments | Updated on Mar 14, 2006

Publicly Owned Infrastructure Beats Regulated Net Neutrality

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/publicly-owned-infrastructure-beats-regulated-net-neutrality/

The media are abuzz with a new high-tech phrase:  “net neutrality”. It may sound complicated, but the concept is quite simple. Right now, the Internet treats all traffic equally. Companies that own the connections from your home and business to the Internet now want to start giving some traffic priority over others, for a fee.

Somecompare this proposal to an express toll road. Users pay extra for faster service. But Internet service subscribers already pay a monthly toll based on the speed of service.  You pay more for speeds of 3 Mbps than 750 Kbps.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 13, 2006

Ethanol Cooperative Installing Biomass Energy System For On-Site Energy Needs

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/ethanol-cooperative-installing-biomass-energy-system-onsite-energy-needs/

Taking an important step towards making ethanol production more reliant on renewable energy, the Central Minnesota Ethanol Cooperative is nearing completion of a biomass-fueled energy system at its ethanol plant near Little Falls, MN.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 2, 2006

Arizona Renewable Energy Standard Requires On-Site Distributed Generation

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/arizona-renewable-energy-standard-requires-onsite-distributed-generation/

The Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) has adopted rules to implement a new renewable energy standard requiring 15 percent renewables by 2025. The ACC voted to require that 30% of the renewable requirement in years 2011 and beyond must be met by local on-site renewable energy projects installed by homes and businesses.

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 2, 2006

Update: 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/update-clean-renewable-energy-bond-program/

Audio from the second in a series of national teleconferences on the Clean Renewable Energy Bond (CREB) program is now available. The CREB program authorizes the issuance of up to $800 million in “tax credit” bonds by electric cooperatives, public power authorities, units of state and local government and tribal authorities for financing renewable energy projects.

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Article filed under Waste to Wealth | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 13, 2006

Extended Producer Responsibility Tools

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

Extended producer responsibility (EPR), based on the “polluter pays” principle, entails making manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of the products and packaging they produce. These are some of the tools being employed by EPR advocates. Continue reading

Article filed under Waste to Wealth | Written by admin | No Comments | Updated on Feb 13, 2006

The Need for Extended Producer Responsibility

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/the-need-for-extended-producer-responsibility/

In the last 15 years, recycling has come of age. The number of curbside recycling programs has climbed to 9,349 and the national recycling rate for municipal discards has reached 28%. At the local level, many communities are setting new records, surpassing 50%, and even 60% waste diversion levels. Continue reading

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 9, 2006

PG&E Proposes Voluntary Program To Allow Customers to Be “Climate Neutral”

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/pge-proposes-voluntary-program-allow-customers-be-climate-neutral/

In late January, Pacific Gas & Electric submitted an application to establish a three-year demonstration program termed the Climate Protection Tariff (CPT). The new tariffs would allow PG&E’s customer’s the option of paying a premium to completely negate the climate change impacts associated with their electricity and natural gas consumption.

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