6 Apr 2017

Thanks To Your Local Economy, Renewables Aren’t Going Anywhere (Episode 15)

by | Date: 6 Apr 2017 | posted in: Building Local Power, Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Welcome to episode fifteen of the Building Local Power podcast. In this episode, Christopher Mitchell, the director of ILSR’s Community Broadband Networks initiative, interviews John Farrell and Karlee Weinmann, researchers for ILSR’s Energy Democracy initiative on the prospects of renewable energy given President Trump’s executive orders undermining the Clean Power Plan. The group discusses how the strong market … Read More
30 Mar 2017

Rural Solar At Risk As Co-ops Push for Less Oversight

by | Date: 30 Mar 2017 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Minnesota’s governor recently vetoed anti-renewables legislation that threatens rural solar development, but the bill’s likely resurgence means the state remains among a growing crop of Midwestern states facing the prospect of heavy-handed limitations on solar growth. The Minnesota legislation would have exempted rural electric cooperatives from all oversight of distributed generation policy by state regulators, putting … Read More
23 Mar 2017

Unlocking Universal Access to Community Solar

by | Date: 23 Mar 2017 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

As more community solar is brought to market, however, important questions loom about access and the distribution of benefits.

Finding answers requires an intentional approach from regulators, developers, and utilities alike to ensure that low-income households, and others traditionally shut out of owning renewable generation, have a chance to opt in.

This month, ILSR submitted the following comments to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to inform its discussion of universal access to community solar.  They are included below, lightly edited for clarity.… Read More
23 Mar 2017

Breaking Through Partisanship: Left-Right-Local (Episode 14)

by | Date: 23 Mar 2017 | posted in: Building Local Power, Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, From the Desk of David Morris, Retail, The Public Good | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

John Farrell, Director of ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative, Stacy Mitchell, Director of Community-Scaled Economies, and David Morris join host Christopher Mitchell to reflect on the role and nature of local policies and politics and the innovative economic structures communities are building.… Read More
15 Mar 2017

Video: A Solar Leader Emerges in Rural Iowa

by | Date: 15 Mar 2017 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

It seems counter-intuitive that a conservative farming community in southeastern Iowa is home to some of the most expansive solar generation in the U.S. But that’s exactly what’s happening in the area served by Farmers Electric Cooperative, the rural utility whose enterprising leader, Warren McKenna, saw renewables as a gateway to economic vitality. Last summer, ILSR … Read More
13 Mar 2017

Pueblo Targets All-Renewables Future To Bolster Local Economy

by | Date: 13 Mar 2017 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Pueblo, Colorado, last month became the first city to commit to an all-renewables future since President Donald Trump took office. The new administration continues to cast significant doubt over the future of federal policies designed to promote clean energy and distributed generation, virtually ensuring the best energy policy will sprout from state and local leadership. Under … Read More
6 Mar 2017

Municipal Utility Offers Springboard for Minnesota City’s Energy Vision – Episode 42 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

by | Date: 6 Mar 2017 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Sprouting from southeastern Minnesota farm country, the city of Rochester is an unassuming mini-metropolis best known for its world-famous Mayo Clinic. But the city is also home to the state’s largest municipal utility and an ambitious plan to ramp up renewable generation. In this 2017 episode of Local Energy Rules, John Farrell speaks with Rochester City Council-member Michael Wojcik.… Read More
2 Mar 2017

Arkansas Utility Leads on Energy, Broadband

by | Date: 2 Mar 2017 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, MuniNetworks | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Ouachita Electric Cooperative, nestled deep in south-central Arkansas, is an unlikely innovator in a pair of industries struggling to adapt to shifting market dynamics: electricity and broadband.

Despite rising demand for energy efficiency and renewable electricity generation, large investor-owned utilities — and many rural electric co-ops — have resisted programs to address those needs. Likewise, corporate Internet service providers frequently offer shoddy service at high rates, a particular problem in rural areas with limited competition.… Read More
1 Mar 2017

Energy Democracy in 4 Powerful Steps

by | Date: 1 Mar 2017 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

There’s no question that the energy system is undergoing change. One need look no further than the 1 million solar rooftops in the U.S. or — for the wonky — the source of new power capacity in the U.S. over the past 15 years. In 2003, just 20% of new electric capacity came from renewable power … Read More

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