Author/s: Graceful Systems LLC
51st State Phase I Concept Paper > The framework for the 51st State, Fertile Ground, is defined by three key values: resilience, sustainability and equity, which are implemented via five key ideas. First, central authority and responsibility to manage energy infrastructure will be exercised by a “community,” defined as "a group of people, organizations and institutions under some participatory, local form of governance". Second, within this community, the limits of monopoly utility service will be defined as narrowly and tightly as possible, while, third, ensuring the safety of and access to that monopoly service. Fourth, energy service contracts will become the central transaction between energy users and providers, and, finally, energy policies will be driven by observable outcomes that provide a basis for continual growth and benefits for all stakeholders.