“The practice of competing to see who will kick-back the most taxpayer money to certain mega-businesses has gotten obscene,” declared Arizona State Representative Rick Murphy, one of several lawmakers pushing for a ban on retail subsidies. Continue reading
A look at the results of several ballot questions on big-box retail. Continue reading
Held on November 2nd, a national call-in briefing provided information on the new Clean Renewable Energy Bond (CREB) program that was included in the recently enacted Federal energy bill. The program allows eligible nonprofit entities to issue bonds to finance renewable energy projects.
Despite an expensive PR campaign, residents of Wayland, Massachusetts, rejected a developer’s plans to build a large "town center" retail development during a special town meeting. Continue reading
Great River Energy (GRE), a Minnesota-based generation and transmission electric cooperative, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a total of 120 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy resources. At least 20 MW and up to 120 MW may come from Community-Based Energy Development (C-BED) proposals if the cost of the C-BED projects are not more than 10 percent above the cost of non C-BED projects.
The vast multitudes of empty big-box stores, darkened malls, and vacant strip shopping centers that now litter the American landscape are being commandeered by a growing number of temporary Halloween superstores. "We call them 30-day wonders," said Debbie Lyn Owens, who owns a costume shop in Sunnyvale, California, and heads the National Costumers Association (NCA), which represents 600 locally owned costume stores. Continue reading
Wal-Mart is increasingly looking to build giant stores in small New England villages. Residents are fighting back. Continue reading
On a 4-2 vote, the City Council in Port Townsend, a community of about 8,500 people on the northwest coast of Washington state, approved an ordinance that restricts the proliferation of formula retail stores and restaurants. Continue reading
A policy resolution was passed at the recent U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting supporting and encouraging the use of distributed generation as a way to supply cities and their citizens with more resilient, reliable and affordable energy supplies.
Full Text of the Resolution:
DISTRIBUTED GENERATION AND DECENTRALIZED ENERGY CREATION/DISTRIBUTION
Local business owners across the country are coming to the aid of their counterparts in the Gulf Coast by establishing funds to provide direct assistance to independent businesses affected by the hurricanes. Continue reading
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