Why Minnesota’s Community Solar Program is the Best
Minnesota’s community solar program hit 513 megawatts in February 2019, nearly half as much capacity as a nuclear power plant!… Read More
Planning for Local Energy and Climate Action in Minneapolis — Episode 70 of Local Energy Rules Podcast
In this episode of Local Energy Rules, Energy Democracy Initiative director John Farrell speaks with Minneapolis City Councilmember Jeremy Schroeder about the city’s unique partnership with its incumbent utility companies and other tools the city can use to address climate change locally.… Read More
Electric Utilities Must Stop Illegally Concealing Public Cost Data
Utilities in many states have undercut competition by playing “hide the peanut.” Instead of sharing their avoided cost publicly, as required by Congress and state laws, utilities have hidden them behind a “trade secret” designation.… Read More
Small Minnesota Community Faces David v. Goliath Negotiation for Community Solar — Episode 69 of Local Energy Rules Podcast
What does it take to build a community solar project (with battery storage) in a small town in northern Minnesota when the monopoly wholesale energy company tells your small city-owned utility to “lawyer up”? In this podcast episode, we talk with Bill Schnell of Grand Rapids, Minn., about that community’s effort negotiate a project deal with the community’s much larger utility supplier.… Read More
Voices of 100%: Midwestern City Pressures Incumbent Utility to Clean Up Its Act — Episode 68 of Local Energy Rules Podcast
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
Minnesota Utility Tees Up Programs to Support an Electric Vehicle Future
In a filing late last year, a Minnesota electric utility put forward two new electric vehicle charging pilots as part of a suite of new policy tools to encourage driving electric. ILSR applauds the efforts, and offers a few suggestions.… Read More
ILSR’s Top 10 Local Energy Posts of 2018
What did our readers and listeners like best from our Energy Democracy program? Podcasts and solar and storage, oh my!… Read More
A ‘Year of 100’ for Local, Renewable Energy in 2018 — Episode 67 of Local Energy Rules Podcast
In 2018, numerous states, utilities, and cities made big resolutions to shift to 100 percent clean energy. In a special New Year’s episode of Local Energy Rules, John Farrell and Marie Donahue from ILSR’s Energy Democracy team discuss their take on this “Year of 100.” The two recap the year’s most notable clean energy commitments and what’s on the horizon for local, renewable energy in 2019.… Read More
Good Public Policy Key to Building a Renewable-Friendly Utility
How do you build a pro-climate electric utility like Xcel Energy? Here’s a helpful timeline… Read More