Green Energy: Should every community be responsible for generating its own electricity? What are the risks and benefits of such energy production?

Ideally, yes, each and every community probably should be responsible for developing and administrating it's own power supply.  That probably will not happen until the current cost of traditional commercial production of electricity becomes exorbitantly expensive.  The only time the public gets "properly motivated" is when a commodity, such as electricity, becomes scarce or so expensive most people can not afford it.  So far, those conditions do not exist.  It makes for entertaining discussion and debate, but until the consumer gets hit in his or her pocketbook, the status quo will probably continue, unabated.  After the people in the community get motivated to adapt a new energy production method, they must examine their raw materials to see which one is better suited to what exists in their section of the planet.  Solar power is great, if you have extended exposure to the sun.  What if you don't?  Then, we must turn our attention to one of the other alternative energy production techniques, such as wind energy, hydroelectric energy, or biomass energy.  Each specific area will have to see which one is more conducive to their locale.