10 years after Minnesota enabled community solar, a 2023 policy has expanded the program. It also introduced new rules and limitations. This post explains the policy and compiles additional Minnesota community solar resources.… Read More
Bill Barker cites Institute for Local Self-Reliance research on the potential usefulness of water pipes as a replacement for dirty energy utilities among the creative solutions available to mitigate the harms modern comforts introduce to a heating planet.… Read More
This report explores water main geothermal: a novel, affordable way to decarbonize home heating and air conditioning using existing city water mains.… Read More
With financial rewards tied to building big, utilities overlook distributed energy resources like rooftop solar. This essay, written to advise utility regulators in Michigan, has implications for utility resource planning nationwide.… Read More
Despite the time and money required for a public takeover, many cities are taking steps toward municipalizing their electric utility. This post compiles some stories behind these battles in San Francisco, Santa Fe, Boulder, and more.… Read More
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with David Bissell, CEO of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. The two talk about the utility’s renewable energy achievement, the challenges of operating a utility on an island, and how Kauai provides a “postcard from the future” for other U.S. utilities.… Read More
In this episode of Local Energy Rules, we revisit an earlier episode from our archives in which ILSR’s Director of Energy Democracy, John Farrell speaks with Mariel Nanasi of New Mexico’s New Energy Economy about how the citizens of Santa Fe could benefit from the economic and environmental benefits of switching to a city-owned utility. … Read More
In this episode of Local Energy Rules, Energy Democracy Initiative director John Farrell speaks with Minneapolis City Councilmember Jeremy Schroeder about the city’s unique partnership with its incumbent utility companies and other tools the city can use to address climate change locally.… Read More
Until November 6th, community leaders in Loveland, Colorado, vacillated between whether or not to hold a referendum for final voter approval on a muni project. Asking voters to make the final call can remove political uncertainty, but there are times when elected officials have to make the call themselves. When the city opted out of Colorado’s restrictive SB 152 three years ago, 82 percent of voters supported the measure. On November 6th, Loveland City Council vacated a previous order to put the issue on the ballot and decided that it’s time to move ahead on establishing a broadband utility.… Read More
