Plano, TX, is an early participant in a program aimed at making energy more affordable for consumers and businesses, according to The PlanoStarCourier.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DoE) SolSmart program so far has been joined by almost 30 cities. The program provides free technical assistance on various aspects of moving to solar energy. Cities in the program receive bronze, silver or gold level designations based on the community’s success in reducing non-hardware “soft costs” that can slow the move to solar power. These include planning and zoning, permitting, interconnection, inspection, financing, customer acquisition and installation labor, according to the story.
A post at the Environmental Defense Fund website offers more detail on the SolSmart program.
