CleanTechnica » municipal http://cleantechnica.com Clean Tech News & Views: Solar Energy News. Wind Energy News. EV News. & More. Tue, 30 Dec 2014 18:48:25 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1 California’s Reserve Fund Won’t Lift The FHFA Boot From PACE’s Neck http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/19/californias-reserve-fund-wont-lift-fhfa-boot-paces-neck/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/19/californias-reserve-fund-wont-lift-fhfa-boot-paces-neck/#comments Wed, 19 Nov 2014 21:14:55 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=75202 Originally published on ilsr.org. Earlier this year, the state of California announced a $10 million loan-loss reserve to solve the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s severe restrictions on using property-tax based financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy on residential property. It’s a great concept, but evidence from on of California’s best property assessed clean energy (PACE)

California’s Reserve Fund Won’t Lift The FHFA Boot From PACE’s Neck was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/19/californias-reserve-fund-wont-lift-fhfa-boot-paces-neck/feed/ 6 Same Price, More Renewables – San Diego’s Fight for Community Controlled Energy http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/04/price-renewables-san-diegos-fight-community-controlled-energy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/04/price-renewables-san-diegos-fight-community-controlled-energy/#comments Tue, 04 Nov 2014 22:12:51 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=74480 “San Diego and its community choice energy district would be able to offer a diverse energy mix with all of the solar, biodiesel, biogas, and energy storage resources that we have in San Diego.  A product that is price competitive and yet at the same time would strive for and achieve a higher level of

Same Price, More Renewables – San Diego’s Fight for Community Controlled Energy was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/11/04/price-renewables-san-diegos-fight-community-controlled-energy/feed/ 1 City Poised To Adopt 1st-Of-Its-Kind US Partnership With Utilities http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/14/city-poised-adopt-1st-us-partnership-utilities/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/14/city-poised-adopt-1st-us-partnership-utilities/#comments Tue, 14 Oct 2014 10:36:12 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=73398 Ever wonder what happened to the notion last August that the city of Minneapolis (MN) would take over its energy utilities? While it may seem like the issue vanished, last Monday the Minneapolis City Council held a hearing on another way forward to a better energy future. On the table is a novel partnership between

City Poised To Adopt 1st-Of-Its-Kind US Partnership With Utilities was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/10/14/city-poised-adopt-1st-us-partnership-utilities/feed/ 0 A Rarely Tapped City Strategy for Boosting Local Renewable Energy http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/02/rarely-tapped-city-strategy-boosting-local-renewable-energy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/02/rarely-tapped-city-strategy-boosting-local-renewable-energy/#comments Tue, 02 Sep 2014 19:41:22 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=71425 Many cities served by private utilities think they have little capacity to encourage local renewable energy development.  But a largely untapped tool – utility franchise contracts – may hold the key. There are two kinds of city energy systems: publicly owned or privately owned. Cities with municipal utilities already have the power to implement the

A Rarely Tapped City Strategy for Boosting Local Renewable Energy was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/09/02/rarely-tapped-city-strategy-boosting-local-renewable-energy/feed/ 0 One Electric Utility is Carbon Neutral, Today http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/25/one-electric-utility-carbon-neutral-today/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/25/one-electric-utility-carbon-neutral-today/#comments Tue, 26 Aug 2014 00:46:15 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=71073 It’s one thing to own your utility and have a commitment to renewable energy, but it’s another thing to deliver. The municipal utility in Palo Alto, CA, set an ambitious target of 33% renewable energy by 2015 and to ultimately deliver a carbon neutral electricity supply. They will reach 48% renewable power in 2017 and

One Electric Utility is Carbon Neutral, Today was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/25/one-electric-utility-carbon-neutral-today/feed/ 2 The Power of Collective Energy Purchasing http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/18/power-collective-energy-purchasing/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/18/power-collective-energy-purchasing/#comments Mon, 18 Aug 2014 14:47:56 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=70660 “We can’t do it as an individual, But four hundred communities aggregating and asking for local wind power and solar power – that’s really powerful.” Oak Park, IL, is one of hundreds of Illinois towns using their authority to buy electricity in bulk on behalf of its residential and small business customers. So far, most

The Power of Collective Energy Purchasing was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/08/18/power-collective-energy-purchasing/feed/ 0 Choosing Local (Renewable) Power: One California Community A Leader In Collective Action http://cleantechnica.com/2014/07/28/choosing-local-renewable-power-one-california-community-leader-collective-action/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/07/28/choosing-local-renewable-power-one-california-community-leader-collective-action/#comments Mon, 28 Jul 2014 15:24:59 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=69980 Community choice aggregation describes a situation where a town can become the bulk buyer of electricity on behalf of its residential and small business customers. Such local aggregations serve about 5% of utility customers in Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and California, but it’s Marin Clean Energy in California that stands above the crowd for

Choosing Local (Renewable) Power: One California Community A Leader In Collective Action was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/07/28/choosing-local-renewable-power-one-california-community-leader-collective-action/feed/ 0 What Your City Can Do To Fight Climate Change http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/24/city-can-fight-climate-change/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/24/city-can-fight-climate-change/#comments Tue, 24 Jun 2014 10:31:11 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=68555 The Obama administration is pushing power plant regulations to reduce carbon emissions and most states have some sort of renewable energy policy. But there’s plenty of opportunity left for action at the local level; action that can also boost the local economy. The following presentation by ILSR’s Director of Democratic Energy John Farrell to the

What Your City Can Do To Fight Climate Change was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/24/city-can-fight-climate-change/feed/ 1 How One Town Keeps Fighting for Control of Their Energy Future http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/16/how-one-town-keeps-fighting-for-control-of-their-energy-future/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/16/how-one-town-keeps-fighting-for-control-of-their-energy-future/#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2014 00:21:31 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=68236 How can a community take control of its energy future from a 100-year monopoly electric utility? Citizens of Boulder, CO, are testing answers to that question, trying to discover how a single city can do more for its economy and the environment with more power over its energy system. At the core of their efforts

How One Town Keeps Fighting for Control of Their Energy Future was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/16/how-one-town-keeps-fighting-for-control-of-their-energy-future/feed/ 3 Envisioning An Innovative Local Electric Utility http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/02/envisioning-innovative-local-electric-utility/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/02/envisioning-innovative-local-electric-utility/#comments Mon, 02 Jun 2014 14:33:23 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=67730 Laboring to keep more of its energy dollars at home, community members in Boulder, CO, decided that they needed some numbers behind their vision of a cleaner energy utility.  Listen in 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

Envisioning An Innovative Local Electric Utility was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/06/02/envisioning-innovative-local-electric-utility/feed/ 1 David & Goliath Fight To Tap World-Class Solar http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/19/david-goliath-fight-tap-world-class-solar/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/19/david-goliath-fight-tap-world-class-solar/#comments Mon, 19 May 2014 15:12:29 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=67144 “It’s the most inspirational work that I’m doing…this is an inspirational and aspirational effort…at the heart of it is love of place and energy democracy.” Mariel Nanasi and the citizens of Santa Fe, NM, are exploring the economic and environmental benefits of more local and locally-controlled energy production.  Is their city ready to take the

David & Goliath Fight To Tap World-Class Solar was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/05/19/david-goliath-fight-tap-world-class-solar/feed/ 11 How Solar is Cutting Grid Costs http://cleantechnica.com/2014/04/28/solar-cutting-grid-costs/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/04/28/solar-cutting-grid-costs/#comments Mon, 28 Apr 2014 22:20:34 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=66098 With solar power, “we can avoid that $100 million investment in transmission lines, distribution lines, in capital infrastructure…” That was Vice President of Environmental Affairs Michael Deering of the Long Island Power Authority in a remarkable podcast interview, explaining how local solar energy can help offset expensive grid upgrades for bringing in remote power generation,

How Solar is Cutting Grid Costs was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/04/28/solar-cutting-grid-costs/feed/ 1 Better Building Codes Save Bundles (Chart) http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/25/better-building-codes-save-bundles-chart/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/25/better-building-codes-save-bundles-chart/#comments Tue, 25 Mar 2014 05:30:11 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=64317 How much money could you and your neighbors save on energy? That depends a lot on the building code, which states (and sometimes cities) can use to set minimum standards for energy efficiency.  The U.S. Department of Energy has a nice chart of which state has adopted which code, but the following chart is useful in

Better Building Codes Save Bundles (Chart) was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/25/better-building-codes-save-bundles-chart/feed/ 1 Can A Novel City-Utility Partnership Green A Big City Grid? http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/11/can-novel-city-utility-partnership-green-big-city-grid/ http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/11/can-novel-city-utility-partnership-green-big-city-grid/#comments Tue, 11 Mar 2014 10:45:04 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=63701 In pursuit of a cleaner energy future last August, the city of Minneapolis came to the brink of putting a city-owned utility on the ballot. It was the culmination of a grassroots effort to get cleaner energy and local investment from the city’s energy utilities. It won’t be a city-owned utility on the agenda this

Can A Novel City-Utility Partnership Green A Big City Grid? was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2014/03/11/can-novel-city-utility-partnership-green-big-city-grid/feed/ 1 ‘Watershed’ Climate and Energy Agreement Between CenterPoint Energy and City of Minneapolis http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/09/watershed-climate-energy-agreement-centerpoint-energy-city-minneapolis/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/09/watershed-climate-energy-agreement-centerpoint-energy-city-minneapolis/#comments Mon, 09 Dec 2013 23:15:29 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=59969 In a groundbreaking agreement announced earlier this year, the gas utility serving Minneapolis, MN – CenterPoint Energy – will work with the city of Minneapolis to achieve a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025.  The agreement, negotiated with the grassroots campaign Minneapolis Energy Options, secures the support of the gas utility for a

‘Watershed’ Climate and Energy Agreement Between CenterPoint Energy and City of Minneapolis was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/09/watershed-climate-energy-agreement-centerpoint-energy-city-minneapolis/feed/ 0 City-Owned Texas Utility Already Serves 40% Renewable Energy http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/02/city-owned-texas-utility-already-serves-40-renewable-energy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/02/city-owned-texas-utility-already-serves-40-renewable-energy/#comments Mon, 02 Dec 2013 17:42:06 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=59655 Is having local control of a utility the key to ramping up renewable energy? In 2011, Boulder citizens voted to have their city take over the electric utility, joining 1 in 7 Americans served by municipal electric utilities. Their feasibility study suggests they can more than double renewable energy on their system to over 50%, slashing greenhouse

City-Owned Texas Utility Already Serves 40% Renewable Energy was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/12/02/city-owned-texas-utility-already-serves-40-renewable-energy/feed/ 6 On November 5th, Local Power Is On The Line http://cleantechnica.com/2013/11/05/november-5th-local-power-line/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/11/05/november-5th-local-power-line/#comments Tue, 05 Nov 2013 08:17:30 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=58608 In 2011, citizens of Boulder, CO, opted to explore alternatives to their monopoly, corporate electric utility that pumps coal-fired energy into town and sucks millions in energy profits out. They won at the ballot box despite being outspent more than 10-to-1. But tomorrow they have to win again against deep corporate pockets, or lose everything

On November 5th, Local Power Is On The Line was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/11/05/november-5th-local-power-line/feed/ 3 8 Practical Local Energy Policies To Boost The Economy http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/09/8-practical-local-energy-policies-boost-economy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/09/8-practical-local-energy-policies-boost-economy/#comments Wed, 09 Oct 2013 10:10:02 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=57488 Originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website The economy has stalled and so has the war on climate change. But a new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance shows that dozens of cities are boosting their local economies while dramatically reducing greenhouse gases. City Power Play:  8 Practical Local Energy Policies to

8 Practical Local Energy Policies To Boost The Economy was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/10/09/8-practical-local-energy-policies-boost-economy/feed/ 0 Susan Osborne Explains Why Boulder Opted For A Clean Energy Takeover http://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/21/susan-osborne-explains-why-boulder-opted-for-a-clean-energy-takeover/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/21/susan-osborne-explains-why-boulder-opted-for-a-clean-energy-takeover/#comments Tue, 21 May 2013 10:20:00 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=51828 The process started in 2003 when Boulder resumed studying the option to create a municipal utility. With a climate-action plan already in place, and a local carbon tax already financing conservation and clean energy, the once nascent issue became a serious option in Boulder. Creating a municipal utility would allow for more control over the

Susan Osborne Explains Why Boulder Opted For A Clean Energy Takeover was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2013/05/21/susan-osborne-explains-why-boulder-opted-for-a-clean-energy-takeover/feed/ 0 How A City Can Get More Clean, Local Energy http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/21/how-a-city-can-get-more-clean-local-energy/ http://cleantechnica.com/2013/02/21/how-a-city-can-get-more-clean-local-energy/#comments Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:00:15 +0000 http://cleantechnica.com/?p=48665 Like many cities attempting to solve climate change at a local level, Minneapolis is finding the prospect more challenging that it may have imagined. The lion’s share of emissions (two-thirds in the case of Minneapolis) come from electricity and gas sold by two monopoly, corporate utilities. Minnesota’s state-level policy is helping: a renewable energy standard

How A City Can Get More Clean, Local Energy was originally published on CleanTechnica.

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