This week in Energy Democracy:

Updates on Hawaii and Colorado’s renewable energy journey, a new FERC decision that could open up greater renewable energy for municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives, and a new Illinois poll on demand charges.

Featured Stories

Are Rural Electric Cooperatives driving or just dabbling in community solar? by John Farrell, CleanTechnica

SolarCity poll: Most Illinois residents oppose utility demand charges by Cheryl Kaften, Energy Manager Today

Small utilities more likely to seek out renewables after FERC ruling by Karen Uhlenhuth, Midwest Energy News

Rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities are better-positioned to obtain power from renewable sources in the wake of a decision last month by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. And some clean-energy advocates believe that as a result, renewable sources will be a larger part of the generation mix for the small utilities that serve a significant proportion of Midwestern electricity customers.

Maryland scores 3 out of 4 on principles for a good community solar program by John Farrell, CleanTechnica

From worst to first: Can Hawaii eliminate fossil fuels? by Elizabeth Daigneau, Governing Magazine

Five years in, Boulder’s municipalization fight could be drawing to a close by Robert Walton, UtilityDive

“Cities are waking up to the fact that there are more tools in the toolbox when it comes to energy than they previously considered,” said Farrell. But he added of muni drives, “I don’t think it should be done lightly.”

Energy Democracy News in the States

California

California dreaming: Utilities uneasy with regulator’s vision to remake their business model by Peter Maloney, UtilityDive

Five questions for a San Diego startup: Solar to the people by Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego

 

Colorado

Five years in, Boulder’s municipalization fight could be drawing to a close by Robert Walton, UtilityDive

“Cities are waking up to the fact that there are more tools in the toolbox when it comes to energy than they previously considered,” said Farrell. But he added of muni drives, “I don’t think it should be done lightly.”

 

Hawaii

From worst to first: Can Hawaii eliminate fossil fuels? by Elizabeth Daigneau, Governing Magazine

 

Illinois

SolarCity poll: Most Illinois residents oppose utility demand charges by Cheryl Kaften, Energy Manager Today

 

Indiana

Solar energy advocates push clean energy initiatives in Bloomington neighborhoods by Indiana Daily Student Reports

 

Maine

New England’s use of solar energy growing as Maine waffles by Tux Turkel, Portland Press Herald

 

Michigan

Marquette Board of Light and Power begins plans for solar garden by Mallory Anderson, Upper Michigan’s Source

 

Minnesota

Community solar exploding in Minnesota by Daniel Cusick, Midwest Energy News

Minnesota solar energy development caught in delays by Mike Hughlett, Minneapolis Star Tribune

4 Minnesota schools get solar panels by Deanna Weniger, Grand Forks Herald

 

New York

Solar power design is customizing for the city rooftop by Josh Cohen, NextCity

3 stats from New York’s distributed system plans by Katherine Tweed, GreenTech Media

 

Ohio

Solar power burning through rising utility bills, attracting ‘muni’ systems, business, and homeowners by John Funk, The Plain Dealer

 

Rhode Island

Renewable energy gets a boost in Assembly session by Alex Kuffner, Providence Journal

 

Tennessee

In former ‘Dirtiest City in America,’ clean transportation is thriving by Gillian Neimark, Southeast Energy News

 

Vermont

State raises GMP’s net metering cap by Kathleen Masterson, Rutland Herald

Future of net metering being mapped out in Vermont by Chris Mays, Brattleboro Reformer

 

Virginia

Q&A: The origins of Virginia’s first community solar project by Jim Pierobon, Southeast Energy News

Keyser: As a member-focused cooperative, we have a great feel for our membership’s needs and wants. We’ve seen a lot of interest in rooftop solar and members asking for help with calculating the payback. But it wasn’t materializing into anything. Many members simply couldn’t afford the upfront costs, or they had some kind of physical barrier to rooftop solar, like shading.

 

Wisconsin

Madison begins installing solar electric systems city-wide by Channel 3000, WISC-TV

 

Nationwide Energy Democracy News

Is this the ‘non-weird’ future of microgrids? by Elisa Wood, Microgrid Knowledge

Change across both sides of the meter by Steve Hodgson, Decentralized Energy

Extended policies case shows reduced energy use, emissions, more renewables, efficiency by U.S. EIA, Energy Collective

A FERC challenge: Opening up electricity markets to advanced energy technologies by Arvin Ganesan and Suedeen Kelly, UtilityDive

Small utilities more likely to seek out renewables after FERC ruling by Karen Uhlenhuth, Midwest Energy News

Rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities are better-positioned to obtain power from renewable sources in the wake of a decision last month by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. And some clean-energy advocates believe that as a result, renewable sources will be a larger part of the generation mix for the small utilities that serve a significant proportion of Midwestern electricity customers.

The winds are changing for renewable energy by Ronald Brownstein, The Atlantic