If you’ve ever joined a grocery store co-op, you are familiar with the cooperative as an organizing structure. Co-ops have deep roots in American rural society and the populist movement of the late 19th century, which led to the development of decentralized organizations like The Grange. The Grange supported rural communities by communally organizing sales and profits of goods including wheat, wool, and tobacco, and created communal stores for their members.

An electricity, or electrical, grid is an interconnected network of transmission and distribution facilities that allows electricity to be delivered. Electricity can be generated through power plants, solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric dams. After electricity is generated, it is then delivered through transmission and distribution power lines.

In early 2009, a new form of currency was introduced that would take the world by storm: the block-chain currency Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a centralized currency separate from any national government and is a fairly anonymous currency. Even the creator is unknown, with the currency tied to an enigmatic “Satoshi Nakamoto” who has yet to be identified.

Energy production is one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gases in America, making it a vital policy area in the transition away from a carbon-based economy. Most American residences and businesses buy their electricity from investor-owned utilities, which are generally government-sanctioned monopolies. Even as the cost of wind and solar energy plummets, many investor-owned utilities (IOUs) have been slow to make firm commitments to shift to renewables, often due to existing investments in oil and gas.