24 Jan 2019

Voices of 100%: Midwestern City Pressures Incumbent Utility to Clean Up Its Act — Episode 68 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

by and | Date: 24 Jan 2019 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Today, over 100 U.S. cities have made formal commitments to 100 percent renewable energy. In our seventh episode of the Voices of 100% series from Local Energy Rules, we highlight how Madison, Wis., is pushing their coal-heavy, investor-owned utility to change its ways. Raj Shukla, chair of the Sustainable Madison Committee, shares lessons for how cities can advance local climate action and renewable power goals by putting pressure on their incumbent utilities.… Read More
8 Sep 2017

Madison, Wis. Asks for Proposals for Building Citywide Fiber Network

by | Date: 8 Sep 2017 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Last year, Madison’s CIO Paul Kronberger spoke with Christopher about the city’s pilot project to bring better connectivity to several lower-income areas. They also discussed the community’s separate plan to deploy dark fiber infrastructure across the city. The city recently released its Request for Proposals as they seek a partner for deployment for a Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) network. Final proposals … Read More
28 Oct 2016

RePower Madison Challenges Old Electric Monopoly Model

by | Date: 28 Oct 2016 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

An unconventional approach to grassroots organizing in Wisconsin’s capital city has in recent years tipped incumbent utility Madison Gas & Electric (MGE) toward policies that favor consumers and renewables, a distinct shift in a state held back for years by entrenched monopolies with outdated business plans. This is part of a series released in October 2016 … Read More
21 Jan 2015

Cap Times Weighs In on Mayoral Race, Muni Broadband, and Free Internet: We Need It!

by | Date: 21 Jan 2015 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The Madison Cap Times recently ran an editorial focusing on the surprising nature of mayoral races. We were also surprised – pleasantly so – to read the intention of the editorial board (emphasis ours): The Capital Times will add its proposals to the mix, with a special focus on using emerging technologies to promote high-wage job … Read More
5 Oct 2014

Community Broadband Media Roundup – October 3, 2014

by | Date: 5 Oct 2014 | posted in: MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

“The Times, they are a-changin” quoted Chairman Wheeler this week in St. Paul. And with it, must come faster Internet speeds if the United States is going to keep up in the competitive economy. Multichannel’s John Eggerton reported on Wheeler’s visit to the National Association of Telecommunications Officer and Advisors (NATOA) conference this week, where Wheeler … Read More
4 Apr 2005

Madison Limits Footprint of Big-Box Stores

by | Date: 4 Apr 2005 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

By an 18-1 vote, the City Council in Madison, Wisconsin, endorsed a measure that would limit retail stores to a footprint of no more than 100,000 square feet. Stores may be larger if they are multi-story or have structured or underground parking. A 100,000-square-foot store covers about the same land area as two football fields and typically requires at least twice as much land for the parking lot.… Read More
1 Mar 2001

Madison Residents Say No To Walgreens, Push Alternatives

by | Date: 1 Mar 2001 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Residents of a Madison neighborhood were shocked to learn in early December that a 20-year-old local grocery store would be closing its doors. Ken Kopp, owner of Ken Kopp’s Fine Foods on Monroe Street, one of the last independent grocery stores in the city, announced he was retiring. Unable to find a buyer for the grocery business, Kopp planned to sell the property to a developer who intended to build a 14,000 square foot drive-through Walgreens.… Read More