Ursula Sladek, of Germany, raise millions of euros to buy out the area's private power grid
Germany's rapid expansion of renewable energy reflects not only its state policy but also citizens mobilizing on a large scale. Consider the vision and courage of one Ursula Sladek. In the Black Forest community of Schönau, Ursula, mother of five, was deeply shaken by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident. But instead of just fighting nuclear power, she chose to create an alternative. By 1997, she and neighbors had raised the millions of euros needed to buy out the area's private power grid and turn it into a clean-energy co-op. Now with over 1,000 owners, the co-op uses and supports decentralized renewable power like solar and wind for 120,000 customers, including households and factories. It's shooting for a million customers in three years. http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/21/world/europe/ursula-sladek-green-energy/in...
Nick Glass, "Ursula Sladek: The housewife who powered a green revolution," CNN. Sep. 26, 2011. http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/21/world/europe/ursula-sladek-green-energy/in... [verified 4/22/14]