Rebuilding Puerto Rico’s Electricity System Democratically (Episode 70)
Host John Farrell talks with Marcel Castro Sitiriche about the challenges Puerto Rico faces in building a clean and resilient energy system. … Read More
Energy Democracy Media Roundup — Week of April 15, 2019
Congress may be considering a bill that grants tax credits for energy storage. Illinois awarded its first batch of renewable energy credits to 112 community solar projects, leaving 800 projects on the waiting list. Plus, youth organizers are pushing for a statewide Green New Deal in Minnesota.… Read More
Why Garbage Incinerators Are A Bad Deal For Communities — Episode 74 of Local Energy Rules Podcast
In this episode of Local Energy Rules, Energy Democracy Initiative director John Farrell speaks with colleagues Marie Donahue and Neil Seldman about the harmful impacts of burning trash to generate electricity. The discussion digs into ILSR’s late-2018 report Waste Incineration: A Dirty Secret in How States Define Renewable Energy and passage of the Baltimore Clean Air Act, a policy which will help shut down the city’s highly polluting waste incinerator.… Read More
Why Does One Minnesota Utility Have a Love / Hate Relationship with Community Solar?
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?
Of New Power Generation, How Much is on the Roof? Annual Update — 2018
New power plant capacity expanded across the country in 2018, but steady growth in local, small-scale solar and other renewables was overshadowed by a significant jump in new gas plants. Our latest annual and quarterly updates illustrate these trends and provides a few timely examples of how communities can keep utilities accountable to clean energy commitments, rein in new centralized fossil fuel infrastructure, and support local, renewable energy, instead.… Read More
Video: Accountability and Ownership Matter for Puerto Rico’s Future Grid (John Farrell presentation)
The Black Start conference in March 2019 convened on- and off-island energy experts to discuss whether Puerto Rico can overcome a colonial past for a greener grid. It happened as the island’s governor aims to privatize the (corrupt) public utility and as new legislation recently passed to require 100% renewable energy. ILSR Co-Director John Farrell presented.… Read More
Energy Democracy Media Roundup — Week of April 1, 2019
This week in Energy Democracy news: Puerto Rico passed an ambitious renewable energy bill committing to 100% renewables by 2050, however natural gas infrastructure plans could complicate things. According to a new study, locally generated solar and wind energy could replace about three-fourths of electricity generated by U.S. coal plants for less than the cost of continuing to operate those plants. Plus, the story of how co-ops are bringing solar power to rural America. … Read More
A Massachusetts Town Realizes a Community Vision to Transition from Coal to Sol — Episode 73 of Local Energy Rules Podcast
In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, John Farrell interviews Lena Entin about an inspiring and successful community-driven campaign in Holyoke, Mass., to shut down an aging coal plant operated by one of the world’s largest multinational electric utility companies. The two discuss the campaign’s efforts to replace the dirty plant with clean energy to improve health outcomes for the community and provide a just transition for the power plant’s workers.… Read More
Comparing 2019 and 2018 Community Power Scorecard Rankings
Earlier this year, ILSR released its 2019 Community Power State Scorecard, revealing the best and worst states for local clean energy across the country. 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 more to do to create a policy landscape that supports distributed energy.… Read More