Energy

26 Jun 2018

Being a B Corp also Benefits Green Mountain Power’s Bottom Line

by Maria McCoy and John Farrell | Date: 26 Jun 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

Conventional wisdom suggests that concerns about social and environmental impacts, though well-intended, can distract from a public company’s legal obligation to reward shareholders. But if this conventional wisdom were true, Vermont’s Green Mountain Power ought to be lagging behind its investor-owned electric utility peers. Instead, this certified B Corp is promoting people, planet, and profit, and jumping ahead of its utility industry peers. … Read More

22 Jun 2018

An Open Letter to California Energy Commissioners on the Rooftop Solar Mandate

by John Farrell | Date: 22 Jun 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

The conventional wisdom in electricity generation is that scale matters. But this outdated notion rests on the assumption that electricity generators compete only in the wholesale market. California’s nearly 1 million solar roofs already producing power provide the factual counterpunch to this myth, but so does ample research on the economies of scale and the price of competition in the wind and solar markets.… Read More

22 Jun 2018

New York Solar Bill Encourages Distributed Energy Market to Stay on Target

by John Farrell | Date: 22 Jun 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

In the New York solar version of this space epic, the Alliance’s X-wing fighters have scrambled to advance Assembly Bill 10474. It’s the only hope to stop VaDER—Value of Distributed Energy Resources–a tool once intended to transition the state’s solar market to version 2.0, but one that incumbent electric utilities have successfully turned to a dark purpose: quashing the ability of New York residents to go solar together.… Read More

12 Jun 2018

Energy Democracy Media Roundup — Week of June 11, 2018

by Nick Stumo-Langer | Date: 12 Jun 2018 | posted in: Energy | 0

This week in Energy Democracy news: Communities in Indiana are rejecting the state’s anti-net metering laws by taking it upon themselves to promote solar energy; a study comes out from Yale Environment 360 detailing how Puerto Rico could have/should have been rebuilt with renewables, instead of further privatization; Minnesota moves to include on-bill financing to ensure folks of all income levels have access to renewables and energy efficiency; and the number of U.S. cities pledging to go to 100% renewable energy rose sharply last year.… Read More

8 Jun 2018

From the Archive: Anya Schoolman, Executive Director of Solar United Neighbors — Episode 55 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

by Marie Donahue | Date: 8 Jun 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0

How did one group of neighbors from Washington, D.C., band together to advance clean energy locally and then build a larger movement replicating their model elsewhere? In the latest episode from the Local Energy Rules podcast archive, John Farrell, Director of ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative, revisits a 2013 interview with Anya Schoolman, the major force behind a unique, grassroots solar cooperative model that has since grown into Solar United Neighbors, now a national leader in distributed, cooperative solar. The two discuss effective ways to invest in solar energy and advocate for local policies to support distributed energy from the ground up—strategies as relevant in 2013 as they are today.… Read More

31 May 2018

Vote for Decorah Municipal Utility Falls Short, But Local Energy Advocates Persist

by John Farrell | Date: 31 May 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

The final referendum results in May 2018 were stunningly close, with local organizers coming within three votes of advancing an effort for a municipal electric utility in the small town of Decorah, Iowa. The incumbent monopoly utility outspent local activists by a 4-to-1 margin, overwhelming local organizing despite a study that suggested electric customers could save 30% by switching to a locally owned utility.… Read More

29 May 2018

Energy Democracy Media Roundup — Week of May 28, 2018

by Sidi Traore | Date: 29 May 2018 | posted in: Energy | 0

This week in Energy Democracy news:
A landmark ruling in California mandates that every new home has to be built with solar panels, which is expected to lower the cost of homeownership; a 2017 Year-End update features the size of each state’s solar market and the corresponding share of distributed solar which is represented by a pie chart; an Edison Electric Institute survey demonstrates Maryland residents support for the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure; Michigan lawmakers will conduct a hearing, which will bring community solar for residents, nonprofit organizations, and other constituents; State regulators in Minnesota are introducing an incentive payment to address a new rate for community solar projects; Pittsburgh continues to be a leader of energy innovation with about 20 distributed energy and the implementation of nanogrid and microgrid projects; “Rush to Gas” may cost people billions; and a report on the US Power System.… Read More

22 May 2018

Community Power State Scorecard Comparison — 2018 vs. 2017

by Marie Donahue | Date: 22 May 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0

Earlier this spring, ILSR released its 2018 Community Power State Scorecard, revealing the best and worst states for local clean energy across the country. Did many states improve on their 2017 score? 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 a lot more to do when it comes to creating a policy landscape that enables distributed energy.… Read More

15 May 2018

Energy Democracy Media Roundup — Week of May 14, 2018

by Nick Stumo-Langer | Date: 15 May 2018 | posted in: Energy | 0

This week in Energy Democracy news: California releases new guidance that all new homes have to be built with rooftop solar; Decorah, Iowa’s vote on municipalizing their electric utility falls just short of a positive outcome; new analysis details the benefits of transitioning the Boston metro-area buses to an electric fleet; and a Minnesota group makes the economic case for renewables.… Read More