Who among us doesn’t dream of a time when cheap, environmentally friendly energy production becomes a reality?

It’s been discussed for decades, and many advancements have been made in this area throughout those years.

The question for most communities and individuals is whether or not the technology has been sufficiently advanced to justify the huge investment required to make the transition from traditional to alternative energy production.

Many cities throughout the U.S. – and even more throughout the industrialized world – have taken the leap and plunge fully forward into alternative energy conversion or enhancement.

It takes a coordinated and concerted effort to achieve satisfying results. Wind turbines dot the landscapes of several such forward minded communities. Solar panels are being installed on rooftops throughout the world. All sorts of other exotic systems are being tried in a search of independence from fossil fuel consumption.

For us here locally, the change entails a steep investment in hardware and installation, with the prospects for savings involving several years of usage before a solid return is realized. The question, again, is can it now be the right time to consider making the commitment to go for it.

It is a question that only each individual homeowner can answer for themself. There is a lot at stake, for ourselves and for the environment.

The best thing for each of us to do at this point in time is to do the homework, crunch the numbers, and ask ourselves is this the right thing to do at this time.

In the long term, it seems inevitable. For the short term, we have a lot to consider.

We all hope to choose wisely.