In this episode of Local Energy Rules, host John Farrell speaks with Minneapolis City Council member Cam Gordon. Farrell and Gordon, with help from Alice Madden of Community Power, talk about the Minneapolis clean energy partnership on its fifth anniversary.… Read More
On Friday, September 27th, research associate Maria McCoy testified to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Listen to her statement, arguing against Xcel Energy’s proposed purchase of a gas plant, in this five minute video.… Read More
Minnesota’s community solar program hit 613 megawatts in September 2019, enough to power more than 100,000 homes each year or about half as much capacity as a typical nuclear power plant!… Read More
If solar developers overestimate future electricity prices, some of the predicted savings of a solar system never materialize. This article evaluates the evidence for, and consequences of, these overestimations. … Read More
As clean energy advocates urge retirement of fossil fuel power plants, securitization has become a billion-dollar word with huge implications for who will pay for and who will own the clean energy future. So, what is securitization, and how does it play a role in a clean energy transition?… Read More
More than 100 U.S. cities have now set goals to transition to 100 percent renewable energy, but how are they working to make these goals a reality? In a new episode of our Voices of 100% series from Local Energy Rules, we feature the small town of Grand Marais, Minn., and the strategies it is using to achieve its ambitious local, clean energy commitment.… Read More
Minnesota is the national leader in community solar, with 208 projects around the state, more than a third of all community solar projects in the U.S. The state’s community solar policy is the best, making it easy to develop and subscribe to solar power. Read more about the benefits for customers, workers, and landowners in a new report from Vote Solar, MnSEIA, and the Institute for Local Self Reliance.… Read More
Despite its pride in having the nation’s largest community solar program––shown by the massive poster on its headquarters front doors (the above photo)––Xcel Energy can often be caught complaining (erroneously) that utility-owned solar would be more cost-effective. In the following analysis, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance explains why Minnesota’s community solar program has actually saved Xcel Energy customers millions of dollars already.… Read More
Xcel Energy hosts the nation’s largest community solar program. But in testimony to the legislature or comments to the media, Minnesota’s largest private monopoly utility often raises concerns about the community solar program’s value compared to building large-scale solar arrays that don’t offer individual customers any significant bill savings. Why?
