Wouldn't it be great if America did this?

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21. I live on a cooperative now.

I never suggested living off the grid (or even the cooperative being off the grid).

What I'm talking about is being able to invest retirement funds into an alternative energy source.

Why can't our retirement funds (IRA, 401K, state pensions etc.) be invested in something local; something that has a guaranteed income over time (as long as electric energy is being consumed) can be monitored by the investors and creates local jobs. Something that the local utility has to compensate us for if we produce more than we use.

This model that we have where we send our money off to some genius; where they invest money in the kind of silly bullshit that we see on Trump's stupid celebrity show; that model seems to get retirements cleaned out every 10 years or so.

No, I want to be able to have my money go toward something that I know people are going to be buying, and that 'product' is going to be more expensive over time, and once that equipment is put into place; it doesn't require many inputs (cleaned off occasionally).

That's what I'm talking about. If I want to go count how many solar panels (or windmills) that I am part owner of; I just ride my bike out to where they are, and start counting.

Granted that isn't exactly the same as a cooperative, but it's crazy to accept that we 'need' energy and we are completely dependent upon someone else to provide it.

That's why I think it's better for individuals to own the PV panels. Really, it's about controlling a basic need.