- Parkland, FL, will write residents checks for replacing old air conditioners with more energy-efficient models ($100), installing low-flow toilets and showerheads ($150), and buying hybrid cars ($200).
- San Francisco will rebate residents up to $5000 for installing solar panels and hiring local contractors to do the work (save the planet and your local economy!).
- Berkeley, CA, will finance solar panels for homeowners who agree to pay back the cost as part of a 20-year tax assessment (can you say TIF District for solar panels?).
- Baltimore covers up to $2000 in closing costs for folks who buy houses close to where they work (less gas, less traffic, more walking to work, more time for folks to participate in neighborhood activities).
- Scottsdale, AZ, pays up to $1500 for residents who replace grass with artificial turf or plants that don't need so much water [Brian Skoloff, AP writer, "Cities Enticing Residents to Go Green," printed in St. Paul Pioneer Press, 2007.12.27].
The many ways we can bring these ideas to Madison are obvious.
- Appliance replacement and solar panel installation would allow the city to reduce energy consumption and insulate residents from more electricity rate hikes.
- The city could build on the Tax Increment Finance district concept: turn the TIF into a WIF: Wind Increment Finance District! The city completely finances the construction of wind turbines like Craig Van Hove's for any interested business and homeowner; then the owners repay the expense with the taxes assessed on the increased value of their property.
- Give incentives for xeriscaping to reduce water usage and fertilizer run-off.
See? We don't have to be slaves to pipelines and every increasing energy production. There are lots of ways we can make conservation happen, with just a little push from our local governments.
A year ago we installed the new screw-in energy-saver light bulbs in our highest usage areas, the bathrooms, hallways, reading lights, garage and outdoor security lights and our electric bill decreased about $30 a month, which more than paid for the more expensive bulbs. They last eight times longer and use much less electricity. With 2500 homes in Madison, do the math.
ReplyDeleteOne problem we face in Madison is that our Electric Utility is the main profit center that supplements all the other departments of City Government. They only worry about saving energy (electricity) when we are about to reach a peak because they have to buy outside power at much higher rates, and therefore don't make as much profit. They have little interest in saving the consumers money, because it costs the City their profits.
Same is true with water and sewer. Why haven't we had incentives to install low-energy light bulbs, water-saving toilets or gray-water recircullation equipment that returns shower water or laundry water to the home's toilet system to be used twice before it heads into the sewer system? There's no reason why Madison can't be a shining star in promoting energy and resource conservation. The only downfall is that it could reduce city revenue and they may have to cut a few jobs to make up the difference.
You mentioned Craig Vanhove's wind turbines, but we've heard no progress report in the media on how well it is working or how much juice it is providing. Craig also designed his own corn-burning in-floor radiant heat system that heats his entire shop. Maybe our City should partner with the land owners around Madison and create a wind farm or create a wind farm near Lake Madison and provide electricity which could help avoid the higher priced supplemental power during peaks.
We need to get Green and Blue real quick and it all starts in our backyard.