The Citizen-Powered Energy Handbook

"This book is for pioneers in the great project of the new century. It will remain a touchstone informational resource for many years to come. May we all engage deliberately, proactively and enthusiastically in the energy transition, and learn to enjoy life without fossil fuels."

—Richard Heinberg, from the Foreword

Real energy solutions for real problems—NOW!

Every day, more people finally "get it." Global warming is for real and getting worse faster than previously expected. M. King Hubbert's oil peak looms, and cheap petroleum is a thing of the past. We face an energy crisis. This book tells you what you need to do to meet the challenge.

The Citizen-Powered Energy Handbook provides a clear-eyed view of the current energy situation and points toward a sustainable path forward. Greg Pahl examines renewable energy technologies currently available and homes in on strategies that can be adopted by individuals and, especially, communities. Such cooperative initiatives have been common in Europe for years and are beginning to gain a foothold in the U.S. because these medium-scale projects successfully bring people together to create collective energy security for a neighborhood, town, or region while strengthening the local economy.

Each chapter focuses on a different renewable energy sector--solar, wind, water, biomass, liquid biofuels, and geothermal--then reviews their advantages and disadvantages and describes numerous examples of proven local initiatives. The Citizen-Powered Energy Handbook is an eloquent appeal and a practical handbook for community and regional action to deal head-on with environmental challenges and to take responsibility for energy supplies now controlled by large, distant utilities and consortiums. This is the book for anyone ready to take meaningful steps toward a more sustainable future.

"This book is for pioneers in the great project of the new century. It will remain a touchstone informational resource for many years to come. May we all engage deliberately, proactively, and enthusiastically in the energy transition, and learn to enjoy life without fossil fuels."
--Richard Heinberg, from the Foreword

About the Author

Greg Pahl

Greg Pahl is a 1967 graduate of the University of Vermont and a former Military Intelligence officer in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. A full-time freelance journalist for many years, he has written feature articles for numerous publications, including Vermont Magazine, the Vermont Times, Mother Earth News, The Champlain Business Journal, and many others.

In addition, Greg is the author of Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy (2005, Chelsea Green), Natural Home Heating: The Complete Guild to Renewable Energy Options (2003, Chelsea Green), The Complete Idiot's Guide to Saving the Environment (2001, Macmillan/Alpha Books), and The Unofficial ...

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