Three of our researchers (Christopher Mitchell, John Farrell, & Brenda Platt) sit down together to discuss how small cities across America are innovating in the ways they are supporting their local economies. Mitchell discusses this innovation in Idaho; Farrell details the discussions in Decorah, Iowa; and Platt portrays many different home composting programs.… Read More
This week’s Weekly Picks details the myriad fights between cities and distant, consolidated industries such as investor-owned electric utilities, immigration and customs enforcement (ICE), and cryptocurrency miners. Other stories detail what localities can do in response to China’s ban on U.S. recycling scrap as well as how to build a smart city.… Read More
Rural broadband policy can be hard to explain. That’s why we made this fact sheet. It explains how rural America can have high-speed Internet service without breaking the bank. Give this to your neighbors, to your co-op board members, city council members, county officials, or state legislators.… Read More
We’re hiring! We’re excited to announce a job opening for a Research Associate with our Community-Scaled Economy program, which challenges concentrated corporate power and advocates for policies to rebuild the economic power and capacity of local communities. This is a terrific opportunity for someone passionate about building just, sustainable, and local economies. Take a look at the full job posting, and please do help us spread the word about the opening.… Read More
On May 30th, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed SB 170, a bill local community leaders had watched for more than a year. The measure will allow municipalities to bond for publicly owned Internet network infrastructure. Advocates, local elected officials, and citizens have been seeking the authority for years.… Read More
ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell was recently a guest on the popular podcast “Bad With Money,” where she talked with host Gaby Dunn about Amazon and monopoly power.… Read More
Sarita Gupta of Jobs With Justice joins us to discuss the state of labor rights in the “gig economy” and how the care sector presents a huge opportunity to change both work and aging. … Read More
U.S. households use many Internet-connected devices simultaneously, so they need high-speed downloads. People are creators, and they need to be able to upload videos and other content at a reliable rate. Look: Canada has higher standards than we do.… Read More
Earlier this spring, ILSR released its 2018 Community Power State Scorecard, revealing the best and worst states for local clean energy across the country. Did many states improve on their 2017 score? In this new comparison of state rankings, we take a closer look at which states have taken the lead, which are improving, and which have a lot more to do when it comes to creating a policy landscape that enables distributed energy.… Read More
