A wind turbine installed in one weekend is saving homeowners about 80% on their electricity bills.
"An Urbana, Illinois, couple spent $13,000 and installed a 56-foot wind turbine in their yard to draw electrical power from the wind, which can reach 40 miles per hour. This November, their electricity bill was $10, compared to $90 in November, 2006."
Homeowners can receive government grants for some homegrown energy generating equipment. "Residential turbines, which account for half those sales, are typically 33 to 100 feet tall, with outputs of two to 10 kilowatts. They cost between $12,000 and $55,000, but in recent years, 19 states, including California, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Ohio, have begun offering incentives and rebates that can cut purchase prices by up to 50 percent. And last week, the United States House of Representatives passed a bill that would help states provide grants and low-interest loans for residential turbines, as well as solar panels and geothermal heat pumps."
"Wind turbines cause problems for birds. For example, at the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area in California, it is estimated that between 1,700 to 4,700 birds are killed each year by the turbines. In addition, turbines may have a negative effect on property values and some complain that turbines ruin scenic views."
FULL STORY: Homespun Electricity, From the Wind

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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