Energy Resources – Search Results
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Utility Millions Take Down Popular Measure — Episode 197 of Local Energy Rules
Lucy Hochschartner explains how public power would have been an improvement over Maine’s investor-owned utilities, yet didn’t receive the support of Maine voters on November 7th.… Read More
Virginia’s Community Solar Program
Virginia’s shared solar program began enrolling subscribers in 2023, but faces scrutiny due to a high minimum billing feature. This post summarizes the policy and compiles additional Virginia community solar resources.… Read More
New Paths for Rural Electric Co-op Revival — Episode 196 of Local Energy Rules
Frances Sawyer and Maria McCoy discuss ILSR’s new report on rural electric co-ops and how federal dollars can meet the growing momentum of co-op member-owners organizing around affordability, clean energy, and local control.… Read More
Report: Will Long-Term Co-op Contracts Give Way to Affordable Clean Energy?
ILSR’s new report, The Rural Electric Rift, examines the struggle of electric distribution cooperatives and their members to restore local control over electricity purchasing and harness the benefits of affordable clean energy.… Read More
Stopping the Spread of Monopolies — Episode 195 of Local Energy Rules
Lynne Kiesling explains why allowing incumbent monopolies into new markets is too big of a risk for innovation and the public interest, particularly in the context of Xcel Energy’s major electric vehicle charging proposal.… Read More
Colorado Bill Increases Utility Accountability — Episode 194 of Local Energy Rules
Steve Fenberg discusses Colorado’s Senate Bill 291, which changed incentives in the investor-owned utility business model to protect Colorado consumers from high fossil fuel costs and protects captive customers from paying for the utility to lobby against their own interests.… Read More
Utilities Aren’t Telling the Whole Truth About Solar Costs
Electric utilities recently admitted that they often misrepresent the cost of solar energy to serve their own profit interests.… Read More
New Power Generation Quarterly: 2023 Q2
Nearly 11 gigawatts of new power generation capacity came online in the second quarter of 2023. Over half of that capacity was solar power (5.5 gigawatts), about a third was fossil gas (3.8 gigawatts), and the rest was wind (1.5 gigawatts).… Read More
Against All Reason, Indiana Dismantles Rooftop Solar — Episode 193 of Local Energy Rules
Ben Inskeep discusses Indiana’s backward solar policy, why local solar is a threat to utilities, and how to go up against the powerful entrenched interests of monopolies.… Read More
Community Solar Tracker
ILSR tracks community solar capacity in states with formal programs that allow non-utility ownership. This quarterly update (2023 Q1) shows the capacity built in seven states, with a focus on projects in investor-owned utility service territory.… Read More
Don’t Follow California’s Lead on Rooftop Solar — Episode 192 of Local Energy Rules
Sachu Constantine explains the obstacles and opportunities arising for the electric grid as customers become generators and what California got wrong in its 2022 net metering decision.… Read More
The Anti-Competitive Tricks up Utility Sleeves — Episode 191 of Local Energy Rules
Seth Handy explains how utilities have, through loopholes in federal guidance and friends on public regulatory bodies, protected their own interests at the expense of clean energy projects.… Read More
Portland Funds Community-Led Clean Energy Projects — Episode 190 of Local Energy Rules
Maria Sipin discusses what the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund has accomplished, how volunteers from the community have shaped the fund’s priorities, and how to evaluate project success.… Read More
Maryland’s Community Solar Program
In 2023, Maryland passed legislation (HB 908) making permanent a successful 7-year community solar pilot program. The now-permanent program allows for unlimited capacity and requires that 40% of each project’s output serves low- to moderate-income subscribers.… Read More
How Utilities Neglect Certain Customers — Episode 189 of Local Energy Rules
Alex Hill discusses a report on utility redlining in electric distribution, the impacts of inadequate grid infrastructure, and how the report helped make a case against the utility’s proposed rate increase.… Read More