Building Local Power Highlight: Centering Racial Justice in the Antimonopoly Fight

Date: 3 Feb 2022 | posted in: Building Local Power, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In this miniseries, we return to our most insightful podcast conversations. These five minute episodes highlight critical themes that are still relevant today. Jeremy Greer and Solana Rice argue for organizers of color to be embedded and centered in the antimonopoly fight.… Read More

How Recycling and Reuse Created Thousands of Jobs and a $1 Billion Boost to Austin’s Economy — Episode 120 of Building Local Power

Date: 18 Feb 2021 | posted in: Building Local Power, Composting | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Gena McKinley of Austin, Texas, discusses the economic and environmental benefits of the city’s Circular Economy Program — including highlights from a recent economic impact report that found it resulted in more than $1.1 billion in total economic activity and approximately 6,300 permanent jobs.… Read More

Ballot Initiative Shapes Iowa Town’s Fight for Local Power — Episode 54 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

Date: 25 Apr 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

What can a town do to advance clean energy locally if it is fed up with its incumbent, investor-owned monopoly utility? In the latest episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, John Farrell, Director of ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative, interviews Andy Johnson and Joel Zook, community members and local energy leaders from Decorah Power, about an upcoming ballot initiative in Decorah, Iowa, and the culmination of an organized, grassroots effort by residents to take back local control of their electric utility and energy future. In a midterm election year, this is one vote that those who care about local, clean energy will not want to miss.… Read More

Presentation: Iowa Town Looks to City-Owned Utility

Date: 4 Apr 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

ILSR’s Director of Energy Democracy, John Farrell, provided a presentation to a forum of Decorah Power, the local advocacy organization favoring city utility ownership to discuss several advantages from local ownership. First, there’s an abundant local wind and solar energy resource. Second, Decorah isn’t alone, and over 2,000 other cities chart their own course with municipal ownership. Finally, getting power locally returns more dollars to the local economy.… Read More

Sharply Higher Rooftop Solar Potential Increases Opportunity for Energy Self-Reliance

Date: 11 Apr 2016 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Earlier this year, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory released a new estimate of rooftop solar potential, an update to 2008 figures we used in our landmark state-by-state energy atlas, Energy Self-Reliant States. The bottom line: there’s much more potential to generate our electricity from solar on nearby buildings than we previously thought. The irony is that … Read More

Report: North Dakota’s Pharmacy Ownership Law Leads to Better Pharmacy Care

Date: 20 Oct 2014 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

What a difference local ownership makes. Under a forward-thinking 1963 law, North Dakota does not allow chains to operate pharmacies. Instead, virtually all of the state’s 171 pharmacies are locally owned and independent. In this data-driven study, ILSR finds that North Dakotans receive significantly better pharmacy care by every measure, from some of the lowest drug prices in the nation to unparalleled access, particularly in rural areas. … Read More

Independent Businesses Produce Bigger Economic Benefits, Study Concludes

Date: 21 Oct 2004 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Chicago’s locally owned businesses generate 70 percent more local economic impact per square foot than chain stores, according to a new study. The study, conducted by the firm Civic Economics, analyzed ten locally owned restaurants, retail stores, and service providers in the Andersonville neighborhood on Chicago’s north side and compared them with ten national chains competing in the same categories. … Read More

San Francisco May Notify Neighbors When Chains Try to Move in

Date: 1 Jul 2003 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Under a measure introduced by San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Matt Gonzalez, the city would notify neighbors whenever a pharmacy or coffee shop wants to open nearby. Residents would have 30 days to request that the proposed store be subject to a public hearing and formal review by the Planning Commission. Such reviews are normally required only for major demolition or construction, or when there is a change of use, such as from residential to commercial. … Read More

Newspapers Suffer When Local Stores Close

Date: 1 Aug 2002 | posted in: Retail | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Local newspapers suffer a double blow when giant chains like Home Depot or Wal-Mart come to town. Not only do these companies rarely advertise in local newspapers, but they usually force dozens of independent retailers to close, eliminating significant sources of newspaper ad revenue. In a recent article in Editor & Publisher, Mark Fitzgerald describes the deadly impact that the rise of corporate chains and decline of locally owned businesses has had on local newspapers.… Read More