California City Leads the Nation in Green Power

摘要

In the quest for competitiveness in mainstream energy markets, higher costs continue to be a challenge for renewable power. However, residents of at least one city in California don't seem to mind the added expense. A relatively young program in the city of Palo Alto allows residents there to purchase 100 percent of their electricity from renewable power. The PaloAltoGreen Program has propelled the San Francisco suburb to leadership status in the national green power movement. After a 5 percent increase in participation in 2007, 20 percent of the city-owned utility's customers now subscribe to the voluntary program.