Solving the Local Clean Energy Puzzle

Date: 6 Apr 2012 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 1 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In this April 2 presentation to the Pedernales Electric Cooperative of Johnson City, TX, ILSR Senior Researcher John Farrell discussed how solving the clean local energy puzzle requires much more than a consideration of cost per kilowatt-hour. Instead, cooperatives, municipal utilities and others considering developing local clean power should consider issues of scale, value and ownership. … Read More

Lots of Solar Power May Reduce, Not Increase, Electricity Prices

Date: 4 Apr 2012 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 3 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Whether German feed-in tariffs or U.S. tax incentives, opponents of solar rail at its perceived high cost. But a story making rounds this week, “why power generators are terrified of solar,” presents a powerful image that may flip this conventional wisdom on its head. Building lots of solar power can actually reduce electricity prices, to the … Read More

Ontario Feed-in Tariff Prices Drop, Germans Still Far Cheaper

Date: 23 Mar 2012 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Ontario just completed a revision of their landmark feed-in tariff program and rates for renewable electricity generation and prices fell sharply: 30% for solar and 15% for wind power. This continues a trend of falling costs for renewable energy around the world. As a bit of background, Ontario’s feed-in tariff gives wind and solar producers (and … Read More

Solar Policy Can Advance (or Delay) Grid Parity by a Decade

Date: 23 Mar 2012 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In their excellent interactive graphic, Bloomberg Energy Finance calls solar grid parity (when electricity from solar costs less than grid power) the “golden goal.”  It’s an excellent illustration of how the right energy policy can help a nation go gold on solar or wallow in metallurgical obscurity.  In the case of the U.S., it may mean … Read More

Report: Rooftop Revolution – Changing Everything with Cost-Effective Local Solar

Date: 21 Mar 2012 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 2 Facebooktwitterredditmail

With the cost of solar power plunging and retail electric prices rising, 100 million Americans in the nation’s largest cities will be able to “go solar” for a lower price than grid electricity in the next ten years. Seizing this opportunity requires rethinking electricity policy and planning even while solar produces less than 1% of the … Read More

New Report: Rooftop Revolution Changes Everything with Cost-Effective Local Solar

Date: 21 Mar 2012 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Press Release | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Within ten years, 100 million Americans in the nation’s largest cities will be able to get cheaper electricity from rooftop solar than their utility provides. That’s just the opening salvo from a new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. “Rooftop Revolution: Changing Everything with Cost-Effective Solar,” not only illustrates the enormous, emerging potential for local solar power, but also describes how the rules of the electricity system must change now for the electricity system to be ready for the decade’s energy democracy opportunity.… Read More

Minnesota Electricity Could Be 100% Renewable, 100% Local

Date: 13 Mar 2012 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

A new report released today by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research shows that Minnesota can meet 100% of its electricity needs with in-state wind and solar power, and (with ample energy efficiency investments) at a comparable cost to its existing electricity supply. The notion that solar and wind energy cannot be the mainstay of … Read More

Why “Passive Activities” May Be Clean Energy’s Biggest Hurdle

Date: 12 Mar 2012 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

If you care about the future of the American renewable energy industry, you need to learn what the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) calls “passive activities.”  Because these important rules mean that as long as the U.S. relies on the tax code to provide renewable energy incentives, renewable energy can only grow as fast as Wall Street … Read More

Refundable Federal Tax Credit Could Remove Barrier to Community Wind

Date: 8 Mar 2012 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 1 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Update 3/9/12:Turns out I would be a lousy tax attorney and that the form of tax credit does not affect the passive loss rules. What if a small change in federal renewable energy policy could make community wind development easier? Last month, President Obama’s Treasury Department released proposed reforms to a number of business taxes including … Read More

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