Key Topics
How We Work
- We help people aspire and argue for what they need: clean, local, affordable energy and the chance to own it, individually or collectively.
- We help people understand why those in power won’t provide it for them by explaining the monopoly utility system, its perverse incentives, and the failure of public oversight.
- We push those in power to act in alignment, either directly or in partnership with allies, by intervening in regulatory proceedings, advocating for new policies, and supporting a wide network of climate and community advocates.
- We pressure or collaborate with those with power in the climate movement to care about scale, ownership, and energy justice.
- We highlight and amplify the successes of others to fuel the work of local organizers, especially through our Local Energy Rules podcast.
Top Resources
Community Power Scorecard
Community Power Scorecard
See the top states in energy democracy policy
Podcast: Local Energy Rules
Podcast: Local Energy Rules
Listen to local successes and strategies to fight utility monopoly power
Report: Advantage Local
Report: Advantage Local
Learn more about the benefits of distributed, community-owned, locally-sourced clean energy
Community Power Toolkit
Community Power Toolkit
Strategies for cities and communities to pursue energy democracy
Community Solar Tracker
Community Solar Tracker
Where can you find the most community solar?
Recent Issues
Presentation: Tools for Energy Democracy Advocates
Presentation: Tools for Energy Democracy Advocates
In this 15 minute presentation for 350.org’s Utilities Public Education Session, John Farrell explains how ILSR’s Community Power Scorecard, Community...
Seven Hundred Yards Pt. 1: A Small Island in the Mississippi — Episode 210 of Local Energy Rules
Seven Hundred Yards Pt. 1: A Small Island in the Mississippi — Episode 210 of Local Energy Rules
Prairie Island community members and experts explain how powerful players allowed a nuclear plant to be built less than 700...
The State(s) of Distributed Solar — 2023 Update
The State(s) of Distributed Solar — 2023 Update
How much of the U.S. solar fleet is made up of smaller, distributed sources that help communities build local wealth?...
Advocate Puts Full Court Pressure on Utilities — Episode 209 of Local Energy Rules
Advocate Puts Full Court Pressure on Utilities — Episode 209 of Local Energy Rules
Mariel Nanasi discusses New Energy Economy’s efforts before lawmakers, regulators, and courts to protect consumers from the nefarious plans of...