Could Solar Shine in a Tucson City-Utility Partnership?

Date: 20 Feb 2015 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

A city in the sunny southwest, Tucson is wondering how it can maximize its use of cost-effective, economy-boosting solar power. Is a partnership with the electric utility, as seen in Minneapolis, the answer? ILSR’s Director of Democratic Energy gave this presentation to several audiences on a recent (delightful) visit to Tucson, Arizona, to explore the dissonance … Read More

How and Why Utilities Make Solar Look Expensive

Date: 11 Feb 2015 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

I’m visiting the wonderful folks from Sustainable Tucson in Arizona next week to talk about the opportunities that solar and clean energy offer their local economy. In preparation, I’m looking at their current monopoly electricity provider, Tucson Electric Power. Remarkably, the utility acquires just 4% of its electricity from renewable resources (and over 70% from coal), … Read More

Independent Restaurant Alliances Multiply

Date: 1 Aug 2001 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Alex Pryor, owner of Zin Restaurant in Kansas City, has been watching in frustration as the city’s independent restaurants give way to national chains. Although the chains are often outmatched by the independents in terms of quality and service, their considerable resources enable them to gobble up prime locations and to buy market share through extensive advertising. Upscale chain restaurants have also grown increasingly clever at hiding their chain identity and appearing to be unique, locally owned businesses.… Read More

Preserving Tucson’s Unique Flavor

Date: 1 Nov 2000 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Two years ago, a group of independent restaurant owners in Tucson, Arizona stopped thinking of themselves as competitors and launched a collective effort to counter the rapid expansion of chain restaurants. They formed an organization, Tucson Originals, and pooled resources for group promotion and purchasing. Their success inspired the creation of a national independent restaurant network that hopes to seed similar local alliances in cities across the country. … Read More