Local Neighborhood Living President's Call to Embrace Solar Power

President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday night contained a passel of proposals and calls to action—including over a dozen new initiatives, by one count—but at least one element of the speech may have resonated strongly in Southwest Minneapolis.

"We have doubled the distance our cars will go on a gallon of gas, and the amount of renewable energy we generate from sources like wind and solar – with tens of thousands of good, American jobs to show for it," Obama said.

"Solar energy gets cheaper by the year – so let’s drive costs down even further," he added. "As long as countries like China keep going all-in on clean energy, so must we."

The Kingfield Neighborhood Association has been trying to "solarize" Kingfield and much of Southwest Minneapolis for several years. Using grants from the City of Minneapolis and partnerships with local businesses, the KFNA has helped in the instalation of solar arrays on numerous establishments. The organization has also tried to open up access to renewable energy by organizing homeowners in and around Kingfield to take advantage of federal and state incentive programs and bulk purchase discounts.