Heatmap: Simpler Solar Regulations Would Save Americans $1.2 Trillion

Liberty-loving Americans are prone to poke fun at the bureaucratic nightmares Australians and Germans face when attempting to do just about anything. But try installing solar panels on your roof in the U.S. Americans pay a median price of $28,000 for a 7-kilowatt system. The typical Australian, meanwhile, spends just $4K, and the German — after filling out a mere two-page application — pays $10K per project. Permit Power, a nonprofit which advocates for fewer restrictions on renewables, proposed that states adopt several policies already popular in other countries. Those include adopting software that allows for virtually instantaneous permitting of solar and battery projects, enabling remote inspections verified via photos or video submitted online. Read ON.