IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Solar energy companies can legally sell power directly to customers, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday in a boost to the small but growing source of renewable energy.
The ruling will likely expedite the adoption of rooftop solar power generating systems — particularly by cities, schools and nonprofit groups — that can reduce users' energy costs and their impact on the environment.
The issue:
Slowing the buildup of greenhouse gases responsible for warming the planet is one of the biggest challenges the United States and President Barack Obama face. The effects of rising global temperatures are widespread and costly: more severe storms, rising seas, species extinctions, and changes in weather patterns that will alter food production and the spread of disease.