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
In an effort to clarify and strengthen state law, lawmakers in Massachusetts have introduced legislation to enhance the ability of communities to acquire electric distribution equipment from investor-owned utilities in order to form municipally-owned electric companies.
Just one month after its abrupt closing, Kepler’s Books and Magazines in Menlo Park, California, has reopened thanks to an outpouring of support from the community. Continue reading
After four years of study and pilot projects, the city of Manassas, Virginia, has become the first city in the country to fully deploy a BPL system throughout their city. The system is jointly operated by the city-owned electric utility and Commercial Technologies, Inc. [COMTek]. The city is providing the infrastructure for the BPL system and COMTek is providing the internet services.
The image of George W. Bush asking Americans to save oil by driving less brings to mind another image, that of Jimmy Carter wearing a cardigan sweater and asking Americans to save oil by turning down our thermostats. This column by my colleague David Morris encourages readers to understand the similarities and the differences of the two approaches.
In an effort to create more capital for local business loans and community development, the city of Santa Cruz, California, has shifted nearly $600,000 in city funds from U.S. treasuries and other securities to two locally owned financial institutions. Santa Cruz City Councilor Ryan Coonerty proposed the idea, which he says will bolster the local economy by keeping the city’s financial resources working locally. Continue reading
A new study has concluded that additional chain retail expansion on Cape Cod would undermine the region’s economy. Continue reading
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