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Public Power Pt. 4: Game Over? — Episode 167 of Local Energy Rules

Public Power Pt. 4: Game Over? — Episode 167 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

September 28, 2022

John Farrell describes three municipalization attempts: Boulder, Minneapolis, and Decorah. Each city failed to form its own utility, but found silver linings in trying. This is part four of a special series: The Promise and Peril of Publicly-Owned Power.READ MORE


Public Power Pt. 3: Ingredients For Success — Episode 166 of Local Energy Rules

Public Power Pt. 3: Ingredients For Success — Episode 166 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

September 14, 2022

John Coyle describes how to form a publicly-owned utility and lists the four ingredients for baking up a public takeover. This is part three in a special series: The Promise and Peril of Publicly-Owned Power.READ MORE


Are Utilities Blocking Rooftop Solar From the Power Grid?

Are Utilities Blocking Rooftop Solar From the Power Grid?

Katie Kienbaum

September 9, 2022

Delays connecting local solar to the electric grid slow the growth of clean energy. We need more data to figure out if utilities are blocking solar on purpose to protect their monopoly power.READ MORE


National Community Solar Programs Tracker

National Community Solar Programs Tracker

Maria McCoy

September 7, 2022

20 states have policies allowing some form of community renewable energy. This quarterly update (2022 Q2) shows the capacity built in six states: Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, and New York. It focuses on programs in investor-owned utility service territory.READ MORE


How the Inflation Reduction Act Makes it Easier to Go Solar — and Where it Falls Short

How the Inflation Reduction Act Makes it Easier to Go Solar — and Where it Falls Short

Katie Kienbaum

September 5, 2022

As the government implements the Inflation Reduction Act, funding equitable local solar projects will help maximize the law’s benefits for households and put power back in the hands of people, instead of monopoly energy utilities.READ MORE


Public Power Pt. 2: Community Benefits — Episode 165 of Local Energy Rules

Public Power Pt. 2: Community Benefits — Episode 165 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

August 31, 2022

Ursula Schryver describes the benefits of consumer-owned utility service and Randy Knight reports on the progress that municipalization brought to Winter Park, Fla. This is part two in a special series: The Promise and Peril of Publicly-Owned Power.READ MORE


Washington’s Community Solar Program

Washington’s Community Solar Program

Mckenzie Diep

August 25, 2022

A 2022 bill incentivizes community solar development and prioritizes low-income communities through the creation of a grant-style fund. This post summarizes the policy and compiles Washington community solar resources.READ MORE


Why Minnesota’s Community Solar Program is the Best

Why Minnesota's Community Solar Program is the Best

John Farrell

August 22, 2022

Minnesota's community solar program reached 841 megawatts in August 2022, enough to power more than 100,000 homes each year or about as much capacity as a typical nuclear power plant!READ MORE


Inflation Reduction Act Boosts Local Solar — Episode 164 of Local Energy Rules

Inflation Reduction Act Boosts Local Solar — Episode 164 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

August 19, 2022

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Katie Kienbaum discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act will support distributed solar through extended tax credits, a greenhouse gas reduction fund, and other incentives.READ MORE


Public Power Pt. 1: Why Take Over? — Episode 163 of Local Energy Rules

Public Power Pt. 1: Why Take Over? — Episode 163 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

August 17, 2022

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and community leaders in six different municipalization campaigns explain why a city might attempt to take over its electric utility. This is part one in a special series: The Promise and Peril of Publicly-Owned Power.READ MORE


When a Win is a Win, and a Loss is a Lesson — Episode 162 of Local Energy Rules

When a Win is a Win, and a Loss is a Lesson — Episode 162 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

August 3, 2022

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, co-hosts Luke Gannon and Reggie Rucker ask John Farrell about an upcoming podcast series, “The Promise and Peril of Publicly-Owned Power.” This episode is rebroadcast from Building Local Power.READ MORE


The Member Campaigns Behind a Colorado Co-op’s Evolution — Episode 161 of Local Energy Rules

The Member Campaigns Behind a Colorado Co-op’s Evolution — Episode 161 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

July 20, 2022

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Kevin Williams discuss how cooperative member-owners mobilized and campaigned for transparency, flexibility, and affordability from Delta Montrose Electric Cooperative.READ MORE


New Jersey’s Community Solar Program

New Jersey’s Community Solar Program

Mckenzie Diep

July 13, 2022

New Jersey legislators created a Community Solar Energy Pilot Program in 2018, and due to its rapid success, moved to make the program permanent in 2021. This post summarizes the policy and compiles additional New Jersey community solar resources.READ MORE


Small Solar Frees Energy From Decades of Utility-Stifled Innovation — Episode 160 of Local Energy Rules

Small Solar Frees Energy From Decades of Utility-Stifled Innovation — Episode 160 of Local Energy Rules

Maria McCoy

July 6, 2022

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Bill Nussey discuss how regulated utility monopolies are stifling energy innovation and why “small is the future” of the energy sector.READ MORE


New Power Generation Quarterly: 2022 Q1

New Power Generation Quarterly: 2022 Q1

Maria McCoy

June 29, 2022

Only 6.4 gigawatts of electricity generation capacity went online in the first quarter of 2021. Solar generation facilities comprised 3.7 of those 6.4 gigawatts. Here's the latest update from ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative.READ MORE