Energy generation and access has long been controlled by a limited number of monopolies. Consumer choice has mostly been absent, and geography has been the primary determinant of where one’s energy comes from. This is all beginning to change. Rooftop solar is now providing residents and homeowners with the means to generate their own power, and the ability to free themselves from market constraints.
While the movement for rooftop solar is growing and increasingly attractive for homeowners, many hurdles still stand in the way. Because of this, local and community leadership is needed. Officials from both sides of the aisle are finding common cause, and recognizing that rooftop solar can be a political winner.
To facilitate the growth in rooftop solar, civil and municipal leadership is needed. Through collaboration of public and private partnerships, local leadership, and community engagement, rooftop solar can become a viable energy solution. To connect with leaders near you and collaborate on empowering your community, come visit the Path to Positive Communities.
Barry Goldwater Jr. to Michigan conservatives: Rooftop solar is about choice, freedom and liberty
By Jay Greene | Crain’s Detroit Business | August 22, 2015
Barry M. Goldwater Jr. has a problem with fellow conservatives and utility executives in Michigan.
Goldwater Jr., 77, told me in an interview this week that he is upset with Michigan Republican legislators who he says want to discard the state’s successful net metering law that has helped to create jobs and a booming yet fledgling industry for rooftop solar projects on residential homes, churches and small businesses.
The son of one of the icons of the Republican Party – five-term Sen. Barry Goldwater of Arizona, Cold War warrior and Republican presidential nominee in 1964 – Goldwater says Michigan conservatives have it all wrong.
