22 Jun 2018

An Open Letter to California Energy Commissioners on the Rooftop Solar Mandate

by | Date: 22 Jun 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The conventional wisdom in electricity generation is that scale matters. But this outdated notion rests on the assumption that electricity generators compete only in the wholesale market. California’s nearly 1 million solar roofs already producing power provide the factual counterpunch to this myth, but so does ample research on the economies of scale and the price of competition in the wind and solar markets.… Read More
22 Jun 2018

New York Solar Bill Encourages Distributed Energy Market to Stay on Target

by | Date: 22 Jun 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In the New York solar version of this space epic, the Alliance’s X-wing fighters have scrambled to advance Assembly Bill 10474. It’s the only hope to stop VaDER—Value of Distributed Energy Resources–a tool once intended to transition the state’s solar market to version 2.0, but one that incumbent electric utilities have successfully turned to a dark purpose: quashing the ability of New York residents to go solar together.… Read More
31 May 2018

Vote for Decorah Municipal Utility Falls Short, But Local Energy Advocates Persist

by | Date: 31 May 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The final referendum results in May 2018 were stunningly close, with local organizers coming within three votes of advancing an effort for a municipal electric utility in the small town of Decorah, Iowa. The incumbent monopoly utility outspent local activists by a 4-to-1 margin, overwhelming local organizing despite a study that suggested electric customers could save 30% by switching to a locally owned utility.… Read More
11 May 2018

California’s Landmark Solar Homes Mandate Lowers Cost of Home Ownership

by | Date: 11 May 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Starting January 1, 2020, every new home built in California will sport solar panels. The landmark ruling of the state’s Energy Commission is expected to lower the monthly cost of home ownership by $40, but it will also have significant benefits for the local economy and the electric grid.… Read More
19 Apr 2018

Of New Power Generation, How Much is on the Roof? Annual Update — 2017

by and | Date: 19 Apr 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The U.S. experienced relatively sluggish gains in total new power plant capacity in 2017, when compared to 2016, but it also saw another, more positive outcome: a notable surge in distributed solar. Using the latest available national data on power generation, this most recent look at data on annual and quarterly electricity generation nationwide from the Energy Democracy Initiative at ILSR illustrates how small-scale, distributed solar energy stacks up against its big, fossil fuel and utility-scale renewable energy competitors.… Read More
4 Apr 2018

Presentation: Iowa Town Looks to City-Owned Utility

by | Date: 4 Apr 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

ILSR’s Director of Energy Democracy, John Farrell, provided a presentation to a forum of Decorah Power, the local advocacy organization favoring city utility ownership to discuss several advantages from local ownership. First, there’s an abundant local wind and solar energy resource. Second, Decorah isn’t alone, and over 2,000 other cities chart their own course with municipal ownership. Finally, getting power locally returns more dollars to the local economy.… Read More
14 Mar 2018

Getting San Diego Ready for 100% Renewable Energy — Episode 52 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

by | Date: 14 Mar 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

More than 50 U.S. Cities have made commitments to reach 100 percent renewable electricity, but how do communities build the political will to adopt such goals, and how do they plan to meet them? John Farrell interviews Nicole Capretz of the Climate Action Campaign to learn how San Diego’s community choice program will move them toward 100 percent renewable electricity.
… Read More
2 Mar 2018

The 2018 Community Power State Scorecard

by | Date: 2 Mar 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Each year, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance provides a score for each state’s energy policies based on how they help or hinder local clean energy action. In 2018, 21 states had a failing grade, 17 were mediocre, 11 had a passing grade, and just 2 excelled at enabling residents to act individually and collectively to take charge of their energy future.… Read More

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