[conradpdx]

Really as I see it the best way to vastly expand renewable energy is to ease up on the restraining laws and policies for property owners in the US.

For example, with net metering of solar panels you cannot make a profit on your solar array as an individual. The best you can do is get to Net 0, which means you create as much power as you use. If you build a system that generates a surplus of electricity over the the agreed time span between you and your electricity provider, you have just donated power you your local supplier. Likewise, your provider will demand that you install a special meter for the service, even though you can set up a panel array and simply convert it to AC and plug it into an outlet to move your meter backwards, which is also illegal without contracts with your local power provider.

These are unacceptable, if we're really serious about getting off oil and expanding solar and wind power then some of these little steps when combined with the current (and hopefully even better future) incentives would create amounts of power that these large scale farms would be hard pressed to match. And paid for with the dollars of private citizens.

The benefits of such a system would have a number of positive effects. A decentralized grid, faster pay off periods for the owners of the systems, long term revenue potential for owners of such systems, conversion of useless spaces (roof tops) rather than using up millions of acres of undeveloped land, lessen power losses from travel, and I could go on.

Really the whole thing is just frustrating, especially since the rules are set up not to help people but to benefit the power providers. The powers that be are currently only playing lip-service to the whole concept, but really they need to suck it up a little and let us have a bite.