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Citizen-sponsored ballot initiatives frequently demand progress on renewable energy implementation (and have for years), oftentimes these occur when state legislatures show little to no political will to increase locally-owned solar or wind e…

Andy Johnson works with the soil. When younger, he served in Peace Corps in Central America for three years, working on conservation practices. Then he worked in the Natural Resource Conservation Service for years, the same agency that his father Paul Johnson headed by appointment from Bill Clinton in 1993.  After moving back to northeast Iowa in 2007, he started farming christmas trees and grass-fed beef cows, but thinking about how the concept of conservation applied to his community’s energy use and economy.

Since April, IREC and partners have been busy with a project focused on bringing high quality training to code officials and the fire service. Although historically IREC has actively led credentialing and training efforts for solar and other clean energy industries, we are increasingly focused on the workforce needs of sectors “allied” with solar.

Since April, IREC and partners have been busy with a project focused on bringing high quality training to code officials and the fire service. Although historically IREC has actively led credentialing and training efforts for solar and other clean energy industries, we are increasingly focused on the workforce needs of sectors “allied” with solar.

In his commentary, Steve Cicala fell into a common trap for economists analyzing the electricity system. Touting what economics calls competitive advantage, Mr Cicala suggests we pursue the lowest price by taking cheap solar electricity from the Southwest, wind from the Midwest, and even coal from Appalachia, and send it across the country to places where those same electrons can’t be as inexpensively generated.