Census data is great for local social and economic statistics about people in a region. Social Explorer is a good interface to Census data. It's easy to use and you can make cool maps. Note: come see me about what study to use for small geographies.
Government Information: State
Look to these agencies for regulations, rulings, statistics, and briefs.
This is the link to the Treasury Department website and text of the section of the Recovery Act, "Payments for Specified Energy Property in Lieu of Tax Credits."
(Searches through citations and the full text)
Search by keyword, member, Congress, or bill number. The default searches only the current Congress -- use the advanced search to search across multiple Congresses. It's easy to browse the Daily Digest from this site. 1989-forward.
Track donations to representatives, PACs, interest groups, 527s. A fantastic resource and only more important all the time! Search "wind" or look up "pickens, boone."