Watch: 5 Barriers To and Solutions for Community Renewable Energy

Date: 3 May 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 3 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Community renewable energy has significant political and economic benefits, but is often hindered by five major barriers. Watch this vividly illustrated presentation to learn how communities can overcome the barriers and advance more local renewable energy. ILSR Senior Researcher John Farrell gave this presentation as part of a Sustainable Economies Law Center webinar on April 30, … Read More

Florida City a World Leader in Solar – Episode 8 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

Date: 2 May 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

“It’s the only time I’ve done a rate increase when nobody was opposed,” says Ed Regan of the Gainesville utility’s feed-in tariff for solar power.  The program, launched in 2009, has resulted in nearly 15 megawatts of new, local solar energy generation on or near buildings in the northeast Florida town, enough to make it one … Read More

Soft Costs Make a Bigger Difference as Solar Gets Cheap

Date: 29 Apr 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Last week’s graphic on the impact of local permitting on the cost of solar power was a big hit, so here’s a follow up on “soft costs,” the expenses in a solar installation (including permitting) that are not the solar module.  The chart compares the soft costs in the U.S. to Germany (thanks to LBNL’s analysis), … Read More

Local Permitting Makes a Bigger Difference as Solar Gets Cheap

Date: 26 Apr 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Going solar keeps getting cheaper, but most of the cost savings have come from less expensive solar panels.  “Soft costs,” like permitting and inspections, are a rising share of the cost of a solar installation.  Several years ago, these permits could increase the cost of a residential solar project (then around $8.00 per Watt) by 5-10% … Read More

Minnesota’s Proposed Solar Standard in Comparison

Date: 25 Apr 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Some Minnesota legislators are getting a little weak-kneed listening to utility lobbyists make hugely ironic claims about the cost of the proposed solar standard and thinking about how much solar this is. Time for some context. The originally proposed 10% solar energy standard might have been ambitious by national standards, but the current 4% by 2025 … Read More

600 Investors in South Dakota’s Premier Community Wind Project – Episode 7 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

Date: 18 Apr 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In April 2013, John Farrell spoke to Brian Minish, CEO of South Dakota Wind Partners about a community wind project that attracted over 600 local investors.  The project was the brainchild of four state organizations rooted in rural South Dakota–the East River Electric Cooperative, South Dakota Farm Bureau, South Dakota Farmers Union and South Dakota Corn Growers. Hoping to broaden ownership in a wind farm project proposed by Basin Electric in Crow Lake, these groups worked with Brian to figure out how to add local investors to the mix.… Read More

New Peak Power Capacity Should Use Solar, Not Gas

Date: 17 Apr 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 5 Facebooktwitterredditmail

It’s parochial, since I’m a Minnesota resident, but I just can’t stand that our state’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, is planning to use ratepayer money to buy three new natural gas fired peaking plants instead of a) installing solar power or b) supporting the proposed solar energy standard.  Share the graphic below if you agree: FYI, … Read More

Proposed Solar Standard is Cheap Compared to Minnesota Utilities’ Rate Increases

Date: 17 Apr 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 1 Facebooktwitterredditmail

If you’re a state legislator in Minnesota, here are a few grains of salt to season the message you’ve been getting from electric utilities about the proposed solar energy standard.  The bill (HF956/SF901) requires most utilities to get 4% of their energy from solar by 2025 and offers a standard, fixed-price contract to distributed solar energy producers … Read More

Proposed Solar Standard is Cheap Compared to Minnesota Utilities’ Rate Increases

Date: 16 Apr 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

If you’re a state legislator in Minnesota, here’s a few grains of salt to season the message you’ve been getting from electric utilities about the proposed solar energy standard.  The bill (HF956/SF901) requires most utilities to get 4% of their energy from solar by 2025 and offers a standard, fixed-price contract to distributed solar energy producers (the … Read More

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