A new modeling approach from Vote Solar and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) might finally put distributed solar on the same footing in grid planning as the large power plants that utilities prefer.… Read More
LSR Co-Director John Farrell speaks with John Romankiewicz, Senior Analyst for the Beyond Coal Campaign at Sierra Club. Their discussion focuses on a new report from the Sierra Club called The Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges, which takes an in-depth look at electric utilities’ public commitments to lower carbon emissions. … Read More
Read John Farrell’s testimony in favor of a power plant securitization bill, which he gave to the Minnesota the House Climate and Energy Finance and Policy committee on February 2.… Read More
2020 demonstrated that distributed solar isn’t just economically competitive or a superior job creator, it’s better for everyone. In this year-end post, Energy Democracy Initiative Director John Farrell describes where that lesson should take advocates in 2021.… Read More
In this testimony sent to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, John Farrell explains why the state’s 2001 distributed generation tariff has come up short and deserves an update.… Read More
Although California now requires new residential construction to include solar, the mandate allows community solar subscriptions to substitute. ILSR submitted these comments to the California Energy Commission as it reviewed the first utility-proposed substitute program, Neighborhood SolarShares, by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District.… Read More
This report examines community choice energy, a policy giving cities and counties the right to purchase energy on behalf of electricity customers. Enabled in 9 states, community choice agencies are revolutionizing the utility model by offering cheaper, cleaner energy that aligns with local goals.… Read More
In the pathway to 100% renewable energy lie electric utilities. Despite some changes to market structure in past decades, most utilities still have enormous market, and political power. How do they wield it, and how does it impact the shift toward cleaner energy?… Read More
The following letter to regulators in Kentucky shares ILSR’s experience with value of solar policy, including the key categories of value to assess, the importance of a utility-independent methodology, the tension between accuracy and usefulness in setting prices, and what to expect from previous exercises in other states.… Read More
