StarTribune: Utility Lobbying Violates Ratepayers’ Free Speech

Date: 23 Mar 2023 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Media Coverage | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In this commentary from the Minneapolis StarTribune, John Farrell makes a case against monopoly utilities using customer funds for political lobbying. Compelling captive customers to pay for political speech is a violation of their first amendment right, says Farrell.… Read More

Arizona Adopts a Useless Community Solar Policy

Date: 9 Mar 2023 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

On March 7, the Arizona Corporation Commission adopted a community solar policy statement that takes into account few, if any, stakeholder suggestions. The policy has many fatal flaws and will not spur any community solar development in Arizona.… Read More

From the Archive: Ballot Initiative Shapes Iowa Town’s Fight for Local Power — Episode 157 of Local Energy Rules

Date: 26 May 2022 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, a rebroadcast from the archive, guests Andrew Johnson and Joel Zook join host John Farrell to discuss how a municipal electric utility could better serve Decorah residents.… Read More

A People’s Playbook on Advancing Energy Justice, Despite Utility Misdirection — Episode 156 of Local Energy Rules

Date: 11 May 2022 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Yesenia Rivera discuss the People’s Utility Justice Playbook and how to combat utility tactics that undermine energy democracy.… Read More

Rep. Seth Berry on the Movement for Publicly-Owned Power in Maine — Episode 140 of Local Energy Rules

Date: 6 Oct 2021 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, a rebroadcast from the Building Local Power Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Seth Berry discuss Our Power Maine: an initiative to replace Maine’s investor-owned utilities with a consumer-owned utility.… Read More

Greetings From Hawaii, Where Utility Profit Depends on Performance — Episode 130 of Local Energy Rules

Date: 19 May 2021 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell and guest Isaac Moriwake discuss how Hawaii’s new performance-based utility regulation will adjust utility incentives, ultimately saving customer dollars and propelling the transition to clean energy.… Read More

How Big Utilities’ Climate Pledges Fall Short — Episode 129 of Local Energy Rules

Date: 5 May 2021 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

For this episode of Local Energy Rules, host John Farrell and guest John Romankiewicz discuss The Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges: utilities are doing far too little to retire coal, replace it with clean energy, and fulfill their promises.… Read More

30 Times More Jobs from Rooftop Solar, Utility Filing Says

Date: 30 Apr 2021 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

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

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