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
Minnesota’s community solar program hit 688 megawatts in May 2020, enough to power more than 100,000 homes each year or about half as much capacity as a typical nuclear power plant!… Read More
For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Charles Utley. They discuss Augusta’s commitment to 100% renewable energy and how a global pandemic affects city energy planning.… Read More
With financial rewards tied to building big, utilities overlook distributed energy resources like rooftop solar. This essay, written to advise utility regulators in Michigan, has implications for utility resource planning nationwide.… Read More
In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Yesenia Rivera of United Neighbors. The two take a deep dive into the mission and success of SUN in expanding solar access for all in D.C.… Read More
Sixteen states have policies allowing some form of community renewable energy development. This quarterly update (2019 Q4) shows the capacity built in states with active programs: Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New York. It focuses on programs in investor-owned utility service territory.… Read More
In these comments, John Farrell outlines how Xcel Energy should improve its 2019 Integrated Distribution Plan to best serve the needs of Minnesota customers: increased access to distributed energy generation and a fair analysis of the benefits these systems provide to the grid.… Read More
For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Amy Shamroe and Tim Werner. They talk about the city’s optimistic, yet pragmatic plan for clean energy in Traverse City.… Read More
More states are prioritizing solar, but how much of it is coming from smaller, distributed sources? In this 2019 update, we evaluate the status of state solar markets and whether they are helping communities build local wealth through distributed energy.… Read More
