Monopolistic Utility Companies Suppress the Use of Customer Data — Episode 149 of Building Local Power
On this episode of the Building Local Power Podcast, ILSR’s John Farrell is joined by Michael Murray, President of Mission Data. … Read More
Xcel’s Hosting Capacity Map Is Better, but Needs Improvement Before It’s Useful for Interconnecting Distributed Solar
In these comments filed to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, ILSR notes some improvements in Xcel Energy’s hosting capacity map and points to issues that require further attention.… Read More
Despite Promising Policies, Advocates Are Still Fighting for Community Power — Episode 153 of Local Energy Rules
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guests Crystal Huang and Al Weinrub discuss the gap between policy and implementation and how ILSR’s Community Power Scorecard could better represent and mobilize local organizers.… Read More
New Survey Finds Utilities, Policymakers Are Holding Back Local Solar
New research shows that electric utilities and state and local policymakers are hampering growth of solar energy in the United States through unnecessary delays and increased costs. If these issues are not resolved, communities stand to miss out on the job-creating and money-saving benefits of bringing solar to more people, including working class families, people of color, and rural households.… Read More
Utility Conflict of Interest is at the Heart of Minnesota’s Solar Interconnection Frustration
In these reply comments to the Minnesota PUC, ILSR points out that as long as the utility’s interest is to profit off of new generation assets, it cannot successfully manage grid access for third parties.… Read More
Report: Implementation of the 30 Million Solar Homes Policy Platform
The success of the 30 Million Solar Homes proposal relies not only on the initial passing of legislation through Congress, but also the subsequent implementation of new programs and regulations. This guide aims to address that step in the process: what implementation should look like, who is responsible for critical decisions, and how those decisions are made. … Read More
Entrepreneurs, Innovators, and Roadblocks in the Rooftop Revolution — Episode 132 of Local Energy Rules
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell and guest Danny Kennedy discuss rooftop solar revolutions, Kennedy’s work at New Energy Nexus, and the importance of innovation in the energy sector. … Read More
30 Times More Jobs from Rooftop Solar, Utility Filing Says
Tucked into a proposal from Xcel Energy, the state’s largest electric company, was a comparison of two proposed solar projects: one, a giant solar array on the site of a closing coal plant; the other, a small collection of rooftop solar projects to serve low-income residents. In a nondescript table was a bombshell revelation about the relative economic benefits of solar at small scale: for every million the utility proposed spending on rooftop solar, it would create 30 times more jobs than $1 million spent on utility-scale solar.… Read More
Hosting Capacity Analysis Could Simplify Grid Interconnection for Distributed Energy Resources
These comments, submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on April 7, underline the value Xcel Energy’s hosting capacity analysis could have as part of the interconnection process.… Read More