It is a well-established maxim of physics that energy follows the path of least resistance. Electricity flows to ground through the conductor that offers the least resistance; wind blows through the valley with the fewest obstacles; water seeks the easiest path to the ocean. Metaphorically speaking, this axiom also rings true for local governments. Like energy, it is in the nature of a successful local government to minimize unnecessary overhead and maximize revenue in order to better serve its citizenry. In the face of the ballooning price of oil, the clamor for alternative energy sources has risen across the country. Many individuals have taken personal initiative to increase sustainability by being more conscious of their energy consumption, as described for example in this local government energy efficiency best practices fact sheet from The State of California. Likewise, municipalities invested considerably in renewable technologies such as solar panels, wind turbines, and methane capture facilities. However the economic and fiscal hardships that today confront Federal, State and local governments have sparked the need for budget cuts. Like energy following the path of least resistance, local governments often go after what are perceived to be "inefficient" or "over-budget" operations. According to the Asheville Citizen-Times for example, the Green Energy Park in Jackson County, North Carolina, has become the subject of intense scrutiny from the newly-elected County Board of Commissioners.

                The park’s $17,000 annual utility bill is an especially contentious point of confusion, due to the commissioners’ erroneous assumptions that the Green Energy Park was an electricity-generating facility. Ordinarily methane capture facilities generate electricity which it sells to local power companies. In the case of Green Energy Park however,  converted methane gas from the old Dillsboro landfill is used to power blacksmithing forges, glass-working kilns and greenhouses rented by a florist, but uses additional power from the electric utility (about $1,250 a month) to power the park itself. As an economic development project, Green Energy Park draws approximately 1,000 visitors per annum and hosts several art festivals. Ray Nations, a florist who rents half of the greenhouse space said the operating costs are cheaper than in the case of traditional propane-powered greenhouses, savings that allowed him to hire an additional full-time worker.

To view other articles on the Green Energy Park in Jackson County mentioned above, visit the article at Cooler Planet.

For additional resources, please visit the Sustainability topic page.