The federal government has awarded $5 million in stimulus funding for Sacramento-area alternative energy projects, including the state's first "solar highway," U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui announced Friday. The U.S. Department of Energy has set aside money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for projects to install a section of the state's first "solar highway" — a system of photovoltaic panels erected along a freeway — and to build facilities for sustainable biogas energy production from food and dairy animal waste. The latter also is intended to also reduce the smell and pollution around two Sacramento County dairy farms. The funding is part of $20.5 million in stimulus grants be

Representatives from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District are attending 52 community meetings in May to inform area residents about the utility district’s planned rate hikes. SMUD’s board of directors will meet June 4 to consider whether to approve two sets of fee increases. The first fee hike would appear on residents’ bills beginning September 1 – fees would jump about 9.5 percent. Residents can expect a second fee increase of about 3.5 percent starting January 1, 2011. Rosanna Herber, SMUD’s supervisor of community engagement, said district representatives are attending the community meetings because they feel it’s important for customers to know what is happening with the utili