Earth Equity News

Off-the-Grid Advocate Says Their Numbers are Growing by 10% a Year. By Kari Lydersen, CSMonitor, August 7, 2010. "There are about 750,000 off-the-grid households nationwide, estimates Nick Rosen, author of Off the Grid: Inside the Movement for More Space, Less Government, and True Independence in Modern America. Improving technology means that -- while still not cheap -- living off the grid is more realistic and comfortable than ever before. In an age of extreme economic insecurity plus concern about the effects of using fossil fuels -- witness the BP oil spill and a host of recent coal-mining disasters -- living off the grid gives people a feeling of structural, financial, and emotional independence. It lets them plan and control their energy use, with no fear of sudden blackouts. It liberates them from the grip of government regulators and utility companies -- not to mention reducing their utility costs, after the initial investment is paid off. And it hints at the potential of a different energy future, free of the environmental and social costs of using fossil fuels. Mr. Rosen estimates that the number of people living off the grid in the US is growing by about 10% per year. His website, off-grid.net, features an interactive map that shows where people are living off the grid and helps them connect to share ideas."