Why Minnesota’s Community Solar Program is the Best
Minnesota’s community solar program hit 699 megawatts in June 2020, enough to power more than 100,000 homes each year or about as much capacity as a typical nuclear power plant!… Read More
Can Southern Cities Sever Ties with Tennessee Valley Monopoly? — Episode 107 of Local Energy Rules Podcast
In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Maggie Shober of SACE. They discuss how Tennessee Valley Authority grew from a federally mandated utility commission to an unresponsive, restrictive monopoly.… Read More
National Community Solar Programs Tracker
16 states have policies allowing some form of community renewable energy. This quarterly update (2020 Q1) shows the capacity built in states with most active programs: Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New York. It focuses on programs in investor-owned utility service territory.… Read More
New Power Generation Quarterly: 2020 Q1
New solar capacity hit a record high in the first quarter of 2020. Will the coronavirus pandemic slow renewable energy installation for the rest of the year? Here’s the latest update from ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative.… Read More
Utility Franchise Fee Update
Franchise fees are an oft-overlooked strategy for cities to fund their climate and energy goals. Read here whether your city can flex its franchise muscles!… Read More
Voices of 100%: St. Louis Coalition Plans to Put Coal in the Past — Episode 106 of Local Energy Rules Podcast
For this episode of our Voices of 100% series, host John Farrell speaks with Rev. Rodrick Burton and Andy Knott. The three discuss how St. Louis created an inclusive clean energy plan and how the city can get to 100% clean energy, despite coal’s dominance.… Read More
Funding, Expertise, Utility Cooperation: Three Things Cities Need to Reach 100% Renewable Energy
This report, written by University of Michigan master’s students in the School for Environment and Sustainability, uses survey results to identify 11 key recommendations city leaders can use to transition to 100% renewable energy.… Read More
Solar Plus Storage Company Seeks to Disrupt the Status Quo — Episode 105 of Local Energy Rules Podcast
In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Anne Hoskins of Sunrun. They discuss how the world’s leading solar-plus-storage vendor is faring in a pandemic and how utility regulation can drive transformative energy policy.… Read More
Coal Plant Communities Seek a Just Economic Transition
Communities reliant on coal, for tax revenue and jobs, are at risk when the plants go under. In this post, we dig in to coal plant closures and ask whether clean energy opportunities can replace what’s been lost.… Read More