Policy-makers talk carbon pricing. Industry balks and threatens costs will be passed on to consumers. Media posts interview with retired grandmother filling up Toyota Corolla at the pump. Elected officials run for the hills. But people aren’t stupid, and they will accept short-term costs for long-term gains.
When governments tell their utilities to start providing renewable energy over coal and gas-fired electricity it’s a big deal. While it’s very much in fashion for politicians to legislate renewable energy portfolio standards, there’s a new player in town. You. Citizens are behind a number of ballot initiatives that are pushing jurisdictions towards clean energy. But where have these measures succeeded and failed? What can we learn?