This week in Energy Democracy news:
The unstoppable march towards rooftop solar, the difference between our political parties’ views on renewable energy, and a plan to help Connecticut farmers to earn income from solar.
Featured Stories
City Power Play Report: Part 1 – Municipal Utilities by John Farrell, CleanTechnica
Richmond helps farmers earn income from solar by Cynthia Drummond, The Westerly Sun
City Power Play Report: Part 2 – Communities Choosing Clean Energy by John Farrell, CleanTechnica
Will Trump quite mocking climate science when he sees the viability of free market solutions? by Ken Silverstein, Forbes
“The difference between the parties has a great deal more to do with the potential winners and losers during this transition than it does with the science itself,” says John Farrell, the director of the Energy Democracy initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, in an interview. “Follow the money. That’s a good way to understand the party platforms.”
Regardless of fierce opposition, rooftop solar is unstoppable by Javier Sierra, Huffington Post
City Power Play Report – Part 3: City Policies Matter by John Farrell, CleanTechnica
HERC’s emissions and toxic ash make it a far cry from best practices in dealing with trash by Neil Seldman and John Farrell, MinnPost
The HERC garbage incinerator is not the best solution to Hennepin County’s trash problem — far from it. While the county is doing well at 46 percent recycling, composting and reuse, it is far from the best practices in cities and counties across the country that have moved to 70 percent plus diversion through recycling, composting and reuse.
Energy Democracy News in the States
Connecticut
Richmond helps farmers earn income from solar by Cynthia Drummond, The Westerly Sun
Hawaii
Hawaii solar groups calls failed NextEra-HECO deal a good outcome by Duane Shimogawa, Pacific Business News
International
Guam bill to introduce community net metering by John O’Connor, MVariety
Iowa
Johnson County moves forward with solar projects by Mitchell Schmidt, Cedar Rapids Gazette
Louisiana
‘It’s just wrong’: Thousands in limbo as Louisiana’s solar tax credits dwindle by Jennifer Larino, NOLA.com
Maine
Why money is the real power in Maine’s solar energy debate by Darren Fishell, Bangor Daily News
Group building community solar farm in Bar Harbor by Bill Trotter, Bangor Daily News
A small crowd gathered Monday morning at the town’s public works site off Crooked Road to mark the start of the development of the solar array, which will involve the installation of 188 panels on the roof of a vehicle storage building. Local residents and municipal officials, officials with ReVision Energy, and U.S. Sen. Angus King were among the 40 or so people at the event.
The project is expected to generate 59,000 kilowatt-hours each year for six local electricity users — four homeowners, one apartment building and Peekytoe Provisions, a retail seafood business on Main Street.
Massachusetts
Omnibus energy bill passed in Massachusetts includes energy storage by Jake Richardson, CleanTechnica
Michigan
First Michigan utility reaches net metering cap as solar installations grow statewide by Andy Balaskovitz, Midwest Energy News
Minnesota
Our view: Conservatives’ involvement will boost energy efforts by Mankato Free Press Editorial Board
HERC’s emissions and toxic ash make it a far cry from best practices in dealing with trash by Neil Seldman and John Farrell, MinnPost
The HERC garbage incinerator is not the best solution to Hennepin County’s trash problem — far from it. While the county is doing well at 46 percent recycling, composting and reuse, it is far from the best practices in cities and counties across the country that have moved to 70 percent plus diversion through recycling, composting and reuse.
Missouri
Local church leads way in clean energy by St. Louis American
Rev. Rodrick Burton and his church, the New Northside Missionary Baptist Church on Goodfellow Boulevard, have shown great clean energy leadership by installing solar panels on the church and the congregation’s community center, which Rev. Burton estimates saves the church $3,000 annually.
“I wanted this church to be a leader in the African-American community with regard to practicing sustainable stewardship by using the resources that we have,” said Rev. Rodrick Burton, pastor at New Northside Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis. “I really wanted us to have solar panels.”
Nevada
Nevada Supreme Court to decide future of net metering ballot question by Riley Snyder, KTNV
Future of Nevada solar ballot petition unclear after state Supreme Court hearing by Robert Walton, Utility Dive
Supreme Court rules against referendum on rooftop solar rates by Sean Whaley, Las Vegas Review Journal
The Nevada Supreme Court on Thursday ruled unanimously against a referendum for the Nov. 8 general election ballot that could have restored net metering to rates more favorable to the rooftop solar industry and its customers.
New Mexico
NM’s solar industry shining brighter by Kevin Robinson-Avila, Albuquerque Journal
New York
Community microgrid project profile: From disaster to opportunity in Freeport, NY by Microgrid Knowledge
Wisconsin
Eau Claire considers solar power for Fairfax Pool by Amanda Tyler, WEAU-13 News
St. Croix Electric Cooperative, Dairyland Power Cooperative bringing 2.34 MW solar array to town of Warren by New Richmond Newsroom
Nationwide Energy Democracy News
Designing electricity rates in the era of distributed energy resources by Joshua S. Hill, CleanTechnica
The premise behind the paper stems from “the growing popularity of rooftop solar and other distributed energy resources” which has resulted in some electric utilities having “recently begun seeking ratemaking changes that would discourage customers from generating their own power and otherwise buying less electricity from their utility.” According to the authors of the paper, these changes include including higher fixed charges and reducing compensation for exported energy — all under the guise of a “purported concern about costs being shifted among customers of the same rate class.”
Why home solar panels no longer pay in some states by Diane Cardwell, The New York Times
Will Trump quite mocking climate science when he sees the viability of free market solutions? by Ken Silverstein, Forbes
“The difference between the parties has a great deal more to do with the potential winners and losers during this transition than it does with the science itself,” says John Farrell, the director of the Energy Democracy initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, in an interview. “Follow the money. That’s a good way to understand the party platforms.”
Electric vehicle sales for all 50 US states now available (5 charts) by James Ayre, CleanTechnica
Nuclear power advocates claim cheap renewable energy is a bad thing by Joe Romm, ThinkProgress
Three ways local governments can use solar power for themselves – Part 1: Yolo County by Ben Miller, GovTech
Three ways local governments can use solar power for themselves – Part 2: Washington D.C. by Ben Miller, GovTech
Three ways local governments can use solar power for themselves – Part 3: Phoenix by Ben Miller, GovTech
Community solar and barbecue: The devil is in the details by Adam Capage, GreenTech Media
42 states took policy action on distributed solar in Q2 2016 by Julia Pyper, GreenTech Media
Regardless of fierce opposition, rooftop solar is unstoppable by Javier Sierra, Huffington Post
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