Arizona has massive solar power resources. Texas, Kansas, and South Dakota together could power the whole country with wind. And the Rocky Mountain region holds vast potential for geothermal power generation. Traditional thinking in renewable energy development holds that we should tap these resources, and then move the power generated around via a next-generation national electric grid.

A new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance challenges this conventional wisdom, though, and makes the rather startling claim that 30 of the 50 US states could meet their own electricity demand entirely from in-state sources; seven more could generate 75% of their electricity needs this way. Thus, major (and expensive) improvements to the national grid may not be the most efficient use of resources.

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Tree-power and homemade submarines… all that and more in your green tech finds for the week.

• Google… the solar company?: The company announced on Wednesday that it’s “working to develop its own new mirror technology that could reduce the cost of building solar thermal plants by a quarter or more.”
  
  
• Wind power from the air conditioner: Renewable energy company EarthSure has announced its WindAir system, which is designed to “[transform] the exhausted air flow from central air conditioning units into a source of renewable, clean energy.”
  
  

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Trying to keep the Carbon Cops at bay? Or, just want a lower electric bill? These five tools will help you identify the energy hogs in your life… and put them on a diet!

ENERGY STAR@Home: This interactive web tool takes you on a tour of a typical American home, points out the energy guzzlers, and suggests improvements you can make. I gave it high praise when it debuted. Cost: free.

The Kill-a-Watt: Want to find out which appliances and electronics are draining the most juice? The Kill-a-Watt is just one of several electricity monitors that can help you pinpoint the power hogs. Consumer Reports gave it a “thumbs up.” Cost: $25(ish)

The ScanGaugeII: When dividing the trip odometer by the number of gallons of gas you just bought won’t do, the ScanGaugeII provides a wide range of information on your car’s performance. Benjamin Jones, of Ecomodder.com, loves his. Cost: $169.95

The CO2 Saver: Any computer owner can reset his/her power settings; the CO2 Saver from Snap.com performs this task for you, and also tracks the amount of carbon dioxide you’re saving with its adjustments. PC World likes it. Cost: free.

Car Care: This iPhone application will give you information on mileage and service work, and even remind you to change the oil, or put air in the tires. MacWorld thought it was the best of several apps in this category. Cost: $4.99.

Have we missed something good? Let us know in the comments.

Image credits: ladyada at Flickr under a Creative Commons license; ENERGY STAR

If you are interested in using the network of green-conscious individuals on the internet to empower your community, then you may want to check out the Eco-mmunity Map. The Map allows you to make map markers for the resources in your community that can help people live a more environmentally-friendly lifestyle.

For instance, a new Eco-mmunity member just added a marker for a company called “Smart House, LLC” [www.sundancechannel.com]. This company specializes in planning and constructing energy-efficient modular housing. If you know somebody in your home town who wishes they could expand their house or are looking to get a new affordable house of their own, then you could use the “send to a friend” feature to share this interesting information with your friend. The “send to a friend” feature is a really great way for you to share a new marker with all your friends.

Another great and simple way to use Eco-mmunity Map is to do a little research on your home town. Is there an all-natural grocery store that has a lot of organic and healthy products in your neighborhood? Make a marker for it and you will be surprised how many people will take advantage of it.

What about public parks? Make a map marker for each one of your favorite camping grounds or hiking trails.

How about green utilities? Did you find out about a local wind farm and now you are buying your electricity from them? Make a map marker with the contact information for the wind farm company in question and send it to your friends so they too can use electricity that is good for the planet.

Thanks for checking out THE GREEN BLOG, we hope you enjoyed the read. As usual, we welcome any comments you might have.