SANTIAGO, Jan 14 2017 (IPS) - Chile, Latin America’s leader in solar energy, is starting the new year with an innovative step: the development of the country´s first citizens solar power plant.
The Hamburg citizens voted in a referendum for the full remunicipalisation of the energy distribution grids in the city in 2013. Now, three years after the referendum, it is time to evaluate what has been achieved so far.
Costa Rica is an outstanding example of a country with universal public services delivery. It has extended electricity services – as well as water, health and education – to all social groups and every region of the country, with remarkable indicators for equity, quality, affordability, public ethos and environmental sustainability.
Driven by a commitment to meet its climate goals, the city of Boulder first sought to push its private investor-owned utility, Xcel Energy, to embrace a radical transition to low-carbon energy. The reluctance and obfuscation of Xcel led the city to develop plans for a municipal energy utility, which the city has continued to push forward in the face of legal challenges and misinformation campaigns.
Bristol is the largest city in the south-west of the United Kingdom. It has a strong history of environmental and sustainable initiatives, and was awarded Green Capital of Europe in 2015. This award was won partly thanks to the richness of grassroots sustainability initiatives, including urban food growing projects and community energy projects.