Yes, In My Front Yard

Yes, In My Front Yard Renewable Energy World:
Urban leadership can speed renewables deployment.
by Ralph Sims, Massey University
Published: June 1, 2010
Palmerston North, New Zealand Local governments have significant power to influence the energy choices of their citizens. They administer and regulate water supply, waste collection, public transport, and infrastructure. They own buildings, land, waste treatment facilities and vehicle fleets and they have close proximity to citizens and businesses.
Many cities and towns have already encouraged energy efficiency measures, but relatively few have enhanced the deployment of renewable energy projects within their boundary. As demand for energy services continues to grow, the energy infrastructure that every city and town depends upon will need to be expanded and upgraded. This provides the opportunity to increase the deployment of renewable energy technologies and distributed energy systems, and hence gain multiple benefits."