Other localities can learn something from the second most populous city in the United States.

Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa made a commitment in 2005 to increase the portion of his city's renewable energy use from 5 to 20 percent by 2010. He announced this week the achievement of that goal after the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power calculated its 2010 renewable energy portfolio.

"We went from worst to first and quadrupled our renewable energy portfolio in a few short years, while also keeping our rates lower than other major utilities," Villaraigosa said.

(READ the article in Solar Industry Magazine)