21 Mar 2014

A Perfect Storm for Renewables – Episode 18 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

by | Date: 21 Mar 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The Hawaiian utility, made local when the investor-owned utility left the business a decade ago, is surging toward 40% renewable energy in the next year, with a third of that total from customer-generated solar. Half its daytime energy will come from solar arrays by the end of 2015.

Learn more about how a cooperative utility has blown past purported technical barriers to renewable energy and pioneered energy storage to make solar a prominent part of their energy mix in this interview with Jan, recorded via Skype on Feb 25, 2014.… Read More
13 Mar 2014

Could Minnesota’s “Value of Solar” Make Everyone a Winner?

by | Date: 13 Mar 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 7 Facebooktwitterredditmail

On Wednesday, Minnesota became the first state to allow utilities a new method of contracting with distributed solar producers, called the market-based “value of solar.” If adopted by utilities, it will fundamentally change the relationship between solar-producing customers and their electric utility. Following Minnesota’s Value of Solar Process? Here are a few resources: Part 1 and … Read More
6 Mar 2014

How Can Communities Leverage a Better Energy Future? – Episode 17 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

by | Date: 6 Mar 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

We spoke with New Era Colorado executive director Stephen Fenberg about the grassroots campaign to fight Xcel Energy and build a better energy future.… Read More
28 Feb 2014

Five Reasons Solar’s Win Over Gas in Minnesota is Just the Beginning

by | Date: 28 Feb 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Solar advocates were popping corks when a New Year’s Eve ruling by an administrative law judge in Minnesota said that distributed solar arrays were a more cost-effective resource than natural gas to meet Xcel Energy’s peak power needs. The energy media were aflutter for weeks, but many missed the bigger significance. If solar trumps gas for … Read More
24 Feb 2014

Watch: John Farrell Talks Energy Decentralization on Thom Hartmann’s Big Picture

by | Date: 24 Feb 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

What is energy decentralization, who’s doing it, and why does it matter? John Farrell, Director of Democratic Energy, answers these questions in an interview segment with Thom Hartmann on his Big Picture program on February 18, 2014. Skip to 30:06 to see John’s interview.  
22 Feb 2014

Hawaii’s Test Case for Solar Grid Penetration

by | Date: 22 Feb 2014 | posted in: Energy, Media Coverage | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Huffington Post, February 22, 2014 Two years ago, the state of Hawaii made history in the U.S. by becoming the first place where solar reached, and then exceeded grid parity with dirtier sources of energy. The Institute for Local Self Reliance published a study showing that even without any incentives, the simple payback for residential and … Read More
22 Feb 2014

Study: Mpls. can reduce emissions and stay with Xcel

by | Date: 22 Feb 2014 | posted in: Energy, Media Coverage | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Minnesota Public Radio, February 22, 2014 A study has found Minneapolis can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions without going through the expensive process of creating its own electric utility. Minneapolis commissioned the $250,000 study last year amid a push from environmentalists to end the city’s relationship with Xcel Energy. The study recommended the city instead negotiate … Read More
20 Feb 2014

Millions of People Investing in Solar – Episode 16 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

by | Date: 20 Feb 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

For years, the only effective way to go solar was to have tens of thousands of dollars and a sunny roof.  Investing in solar was nearly impossible.  But a couple years ago, a new notion called crowdfunding got its start, and California-Based Mosaic was on the forefront.  Its crowdfunding program allows people to pool their resources, large or small, to build community-based solar installations.  It’s not about charity, either.  Mosaic’s pioneering crowdfunding effort is letting people across the country earn a modest return on their solar investment and putting clean local power on rooftops everywhere.

We spoke with Mosaic president Billy Parish via Skype in mid-February about the potential for crowdfunding to give most Americans a chance to invest in renewable energy.… Read More
6 Feb 2014

Envisioning An Innovative Local Electric Utility – Episode 15 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

by | Date: 6 Feb 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Listen in to the podcast to hear Ken Regelson describe how the remarkable results of Boulder’s citizen-driven energy model have given them power to stand up to the incumbent electric monopoly with a vision for a 21st century clean energy system.… Read More

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