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What Is the Value of Solar? — Episode 148 of Local Energy Rules

What Is the Value of Solar? — Episode 148 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

January 19, 2022

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Gabriel Chan discuss how to calculate solar energy’s true value, where to improve Minnesota’s Value of Solar, and why we must ground decisions in data.READ MORE


Why Minnesota’s Community Solar Program is the Best

Why Minnesota's Community Solar Program is the Best

John Farrell

January 12, 2022

Minnesota's community solar program reached 826 megawatts in December 2021, enough to power more than 100,000 homes each year or about as much capacity as a typical nuclear power plant!READ MORE


90% of Last Year’s New Power Plants Were Renewable

90% of Last Year’s New Power Plants Were Renewable

Maria McCoy

January 10, 2022

Take a look at a year's worth of power generation buildout in the United States, illustrated by two simple charts.READ MORE


The Long Wait for Community Solar in Washington State — Episode 147 of Local Energy Rules

The Long Wait for Community Solar in Washington State — Episode 147 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

January 5, 2022

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Mason Rolph discuss Olympia Community Solar, the organization’s advocacy work, and why Washington needs a proper community solar program.READ MORE


New Power Generation Quarterly: 2021 Q3

New Power Generation Quarterly: 2021 Q3

Maria McCoy

January 3, 2022

A surge of new solar power surpassed the growth of wind, gas, and coal in the third quarter of 2021, with solar contributing 54 percent of new power generation capacity. Here's the latest update from ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative.READ MORE


Can More Competition Fix an Outdated Energy System? — Episode 146 of Local Energy Rules

Can More Competition Fix an Outdated Energy System? — Episode 146 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

December 22, 2021

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, a rebroadcast from the Building Local Power Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Chris Villarreal discuss the electricity market and how it insulates utility companies from competition.READ MORE


California’s Regulators Come to Monopoly Utility’s Defense in Local Solar Smackdown

California’s Regulators Come to Monopoly Utility’s Defense in Local Solar Smackdown

John Farrell

December 17, 2021

In a proposed decision earlier this week, California’s Public Utilities Commission will dramatically reduce the viability of rooftop solar in the state that launched the U.S. solar market. You could spend hours trying to digest the 200-page decision, but the truth of how we got here isn’t in it. Rather, theREAD MORE


Report: New Survey Shows How Electric Utilities and Policymakers Are Holding Back Local Solar

Report: New Survey Shows How Electric Utilities and Policymakers Are Holding Back Local Solar

Katie Kienbaum

December 16, 2021

A new report shows how electric utilities and policymakers are creating unexpected delays and added costs for solar projects and slowing the growth of local solar, based on our first ever survey of solar developers.READ MORE


National Community Solar Programs Tracker

National Community Solar Programs Tracker

Maria McCoy

December 13, 2021

20 states have policies allowing some form of community renewable energy. This quarterly update (2021 Q3) 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


Voices of 100%: Moab Anchors Utah Community Renewable Energy Program — Episode 145 of Local Energy Rules

Voices of 100%: Moab Anchors Utah Community Renewable Energy Program — Episode 145 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

December 8, 2021

For this Voices of 100% episode of Local Energy Rules, host John Farrell and guests Mila Dunbar-Irwin and Kalen Jones discuss how, using collective buying power, Moab and other participating cities will negotiate for 100 percent renewable energy from Rocky Mountain Power.READ MORE


Ithaca Races Against the Clock to Decarbonize All Buildings by 2030 — Episode 144 of Local Energy Rules

Ithaca Races Against the Clock to Decarbonize All Buildings by 2030 — Episode 144 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

November 24, 2021

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Luis Aguirre-Torres discuss Ithaca’s Green New Deal, financing the city’s decarbonization effort, and getting the work done as time runs out.READ MORE


New Mexico Co-op Dumps Monopoly Supplier to Offer More Solar — Episode 143 of Local Energy Rules

New Mexico Co-op Dumps Monopoly Supplier to Offer More Solar — Episode 143 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

November 17, 2021

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Luis Reyes discuss how Kit Carson’s exit from Tri-State Generation and Transmission allowed the co-op to target 100 percent daytime solar power — without sacrificing affordability.READ MORE


Voices of 100%: Des Moines Commits to Clean Electricity Around the Clock — Episode 142 of Local Energy Rules

Voices of 100%: Des Moines Commits to Clean Electricity Around the Clock — Episode 142 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

November 3, 2021

For this Voices of 100% episode of Local Energy Rules, host John Farrell and guests Kari Carney and Josh Mandelbaum discuss Des Moines’s round-the-clock clean electricity resolution and how it differs from traditional clean energy commitments.READ MORE


Cities Use Drone-Flown Cameras To Find Heat Loss, Conserve Energy, and Save Money

Cities Use Drone-Flown Cameras To Find Heat Loss, Conserve Energy, and Save Money

Aidan Checkett

October 28, 2021

This post summarizes the initiatives of several communities that, using drones with thermal cameras, have democratized access to information about building heat loss.READ MORE


Drone Data Helps a Minnesota City Conserve Energy — Episode 141 of Local Energy Rules

Drone Data Helps a Minnesota City Conserve Energy — Episode 141 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

October 20, 2021

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Shannon Mortenson discuss Warren’s first-of-its-kind thermal imaging project, lessons learned from the pilot, and how cities can help residents conserve energy.READ MORE