Solar Cities

Building sustainable cities requires innovation and partnerships at every level of government. In this political season, the debate over the role of government is reduced to sound bites over where there ought to be more or less government. As with all political discourse these days, that seems to miss the point.

At issue for sustainable cities is not whether local governments will be involved, it is how to redesign the role of government so that innovation can flourish. The Solar America Cities project is a good example. In 25 cities across the country, local governments are working with the Department of Energy, universities, non-profits and the private sector to develop sustainable solar power infrastructure by removing regulatory and other barriers to the implementation of solar power projects in each city. The cities are working to integrate solar power into city plans and zoning codes, to streamline city regulatory processes such as permitting and inspections and to promote adoption of solar power in the private sector through incentive programs, outreach and education.

The programs and practices in each of these 25 pilot cities should provide significant data as well as models for adoption by cities across the country. Building by building, neighborhood by neighborhood, solar projects will reduce the climate footprint of a city and its residents and work force. Look for solar panels soon on a school or business near you--here comes the sun.