Voices of 100%: A Long Island Town’s Ambitious Plan to Protect its Coast and Procure Clean Energy — Episode 97 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

Date: 12 Feb 2020 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with John Bouvier, a town council member of Southampton, New York. The two discuss setting ambitious goals, the unique challenges coastal communities face, and how Southampton’s work is driven by both technical experts and community stakeholders.… Read More

Where Should Dollars Come From for Fuel Switching?

Date: 2 Aug 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The triumph of renewable electricity has implications for other sectors traditionally controlled by the fossil fuel industry, and for regulators of those industries. Public overseers of gas and electric utilities now face the question of whether it’s appropriate to redirect scarce conservation dollars to “fuel switching,” providing financial incentives to switch energy customers to rapidly-becoming-renewable electricity.… Read More

Electricity’s Un-Natural Monopoly

Date: 9 Jan 2015 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 3 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The U.S. electricity system is undergoing the biggest change in its 130-year history, undermining the rationale for monopoly ownership and control. Until recently, electricity service was similar to water or roads, where a natural monopoly was most efficient. Only a single, standardized electric grid was needed to connect each building. Technology options were limited to steam-powered … Read More

Ejecting the Power Line Foxes from the Electric Customer Henhouse

Date: 24 Jun 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 2 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The neighbors of the proposed Badger-Coulee high-voltage line in Wisconsin are like those in many other parts of the country, upset that their utility will construct 200-foot steel towers across their region and through their property (they have some other cogent arguments, too). Update January 12, 2015: removed inaccurate reference to transmission company control over regional … Read More