The Seed of Local Power
Reflecting on ILSR’s DC origins 50 years later, when the seat of federal power inspired three pioneers to build local power. … Read More
Community Power Wins and Losses in 2023
The decisions of state legislatures have big consequences for how communities drive clean energy access and hold utilities accountable. This post breaks down how the policies that states passed last year impacted ILSR’s 2024 Community Power Scorecard.… Read More
The 2024 Community Power Scorecard
Communities can do a lot to advance energy democracy, but some tools must be granted by state policy. This annual scorecard from ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative surveys a suite of 18 policies that help or hinder local clean energy action.… Read More
Self-Determination Can Save the Energy System
In this 15 minute presentation for The Solutions Summit 2023, John Farrell makes the case for self-determination over the energy system. Instead of tolerating costly energy monopolies, states and cities can empower communities and harness the benefits of local ownership.… Read More
Report: How Local Ownership of Clean Energy Boosts Benefits, Busts Barriers, and Builds Power
ILSR’s new report, Advantage Local: Why Local Energy Ownership Matters, breaks down how locally owned clean energy can maximize economic benefits for households and communities while putting power back in the hands of people.… Read More
The State(s) of Distributed Solar — 2022 Update
How much of the U.S. solar fleet is made up of smaller, distributed sources that help communities build local wealth? This 2022 update examines the size of state solar markets and the saturation of distributed and community solar systems.… Read More
The 2023 Community Power Scorecard
Communities can do a lot to advance energy democracy, but some tools must be granted by state policy. This annual scorecard from ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative grades states on whether their policies help or hinder local clean energy action.… Read More
When a Win is a Win, and a Loss is a Lesson — Episode 162 of Local Energy Rules
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, co-hosts Luke Gannon and Reggie Rucker ask John Farrell about an upcoming podcast series, “The Promise and Peril of Publicly-Owned Power.” This episode is rebroadcast from Building Local Power.… Read More
A People’s Playbook on Advancing Energy Justice, Despite Utility Misdirection — Episode 156 of Local Energy Rules
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Yesenia Rivera discuss the People’s Utility Justice Playbook and how to combat utility tactics that undermine energy democracy.… Read More