John Farrell directs the Democratic Energy program at ILSR and he focuses on energy policy developments that best expand the benefits of local ownership and dispersed generation of renewable energy. His seminal paper, Democratizing the Electricity System, describes how to blast the roadblocks to distributed renewable energy generation, and how such small-scale renewable energy projects are the key to the biggest strides in renewable energy development. Farrell also authored the landmark report Energy Self-Reliant States, which serves as the definitive energy atlas for the United States, detailing the state-by-state renewable electricity generation potential. Farrell regularly provides discussion and analysis of distributed renewable energy policy on his blog, Energy Self-Reliant States (energyselfreliantstates.org), and articles are regularly syndicated on Grist and Renewable Energy World. John Farrell can also be found on Twitter @johnffarrell, or at jfarrell@ilsr.org.
June 19th, 2018 | by John Farrell
The final referendum results 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.
June 11th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Earlier this spring, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance released its 2018 Community Power State Scorecard, revealing the the best and worst states for local clean energy across the country
May 29th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Energy production from renewable sources continues to expand in the US at a rapid clip, thanks in no small part to the substantial growth of solar energy -- and distributed solar in particular -- in recent years. More states than ever are making solar a priority. But where have these gains been greatest, and what are the economic implications for residents from one state to the next
May 21st, 2018 | by John Farrell
Starting January 1, 2020, every new home built in California will sport solar panels. The landmark ruling of the state’s Energy Commission is expected to lower the monthly cost of home ownership by $40, as the energy savings from solar (and other building envelope measures) added to new construction offsets the anticipated costs.
May 14th, 2018 | by John Farrell
How can community solar gardens be financed in ways that ensure broad participation?
May 7th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Fed up with their electricity provider Alliant Energy, one of Iowa’s largest monopoly utilities, Decorah area residents decided to explore their options for pursuing cleaner, local energy and how the city could create a municipal electric utility for its 8,000 residents and business community. Advocates formed Decorah Power, a grassroots group of residents and community organizers making a clear case for municipal control, and the group has been garnering support for putting the public back in their public utility.
May 3rd, 2018 | by John Farrell
Drawing on the latest national data available on new electricity sources, 2017 may have brought more sluggish gains in total new power plant capacity to the US than it had the year before, but it also brought another, more positive outcome: a notable surge in the nation’s distributed solar generation.
April 30th, 2018 | by John Farrell
What can a city do to advance clean energy locally, if its state commissioners and legislators are not willing to take their jobs regulating these utilities seriously
April 23rd, 2018 | by John Farrell
Frustrated with incumbent utility Alliant Energy for high costs and resistance to local renewable energy, the city council in Decorah, IA, has put a municipal utility takeover on the ballot on May 1,
April 19th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Why should a city seeking 100% renewable energy focus on local generation? ILSR’s Director of Energy Democracy, John Farrell, provided a short presentation to a University of Minnesota forum in Rochester, MN, with three reasons to buy energy locally
April 16th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Xcel’s top priority -- and legal obligation -- is maximizing profits for shareholders, even if that comes at the expense of customers and the country’s most successful community solar program, as a new parody video, released today by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Community Power reveals.
April 9th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Much has changed in the national solar market since an earlier analysis of the market and policy landscape in 2014. The solar market as a whole has continued to grow, and small-scale systems are proving to be better deals for communities than larger ones. So, compared with previous rankings of solar capacity, do states that allow third-party leases and power purchase agreements still dominate?
April 5th, 2018 | by John Farrell
More than 50 US cities have made commitments to reach 100% renewable electricity, many inspired by Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign and the cost-effectiveness of solar and wind power. But how do communities build the political will to adopt such goals, and how do they plan to meet them?
April 2nd, 2018 | by John Farrell
In March, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and Community Power released a video that tells Minnesotans the truth about the bill Xcel is attempting to jam through the Legislature. The video is being released ahead of the impending Senate Energy Committee hearing where members will vote on the bill Xcel drafted to give itself a blank check for upkeep costs of its Prairie Island nuclear plant
March 19th, 2018 | by John Farrell
What do grid customers actually pay for distributed solar, when taking into account the cost of delivery and the portion of energy that solar owners use for themselves? What is the value of local spending on distributed solar projects? It’s a result that may surprise many in the energy industry
March 15th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Off-peak charging programs for electric vehicles can provide a discount for utility customers to charge their vehicles when electricity is abundant or demand for it is low, or both. So why would a utility propose a program that offers customers no benefit to charge
March 12th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Originally published at ilsr.org. Each year, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance provides a score for each state’s energy policies based [&hellip
March 9th, 2018 | by John Farrell
When author local activist saw that his community wanted a better, more renewable future he took action — now he’s doing the same work in the Colorado State Senate.
March 5th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Minnesota’s leading community solar program is about to go through its first major change, from using net metering retail compensation (plus a credit payment) to using Minnesota’s value of solar payment. Unlike other states that have torpedoed net metering, Minnesota’s alternative compensation actually takes into account the value of solar energy to the utility, the grid, and society.
March 1st, 2018 | by John Farrell
Jacqui Patterson, the director of the NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program, joined ILSR co-founder and Waste to Wealth initiative researcher Neil Seldman and ILSR’s Communications Manager Nick Stumo-Langer for the latest edition of our Building Local Power podcast.
February 26th, 2018 | by John Farrell
In September of 2017, ILSR Energy Democracy initiative director John Farrell spoke in front of the Minnesota Solar Energy Industry Association‘s Midwest Gateway to Solar event. In his talk he spoke about the importance of sound renewable energy policies that enable growth in locally-owned solar energy and how massive electric utilities are doing their best to harm locally-owned renewables.
February 20th, 2018 | by John Farrell
The shift toward electric vehicles means more than cleaner, greener transportation. It offers an opportunity to build out new infrastructure in a way that supports local economies and a pathway to bolstering local renewable energy, all while generating meaningful cost savings for drivers nationwide.
February 15th, 2018 | by John Farrell
In most states with regulated, monopoly utilities, utilities are compensation based on two factors: energy sales and a return on capital spent, such as when they build a new power plant. Although energy efficiency standards have been layered on top of this model, the fundamental incentive for the utility remains “build things, get rewards for shareholders.”
February 12th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Measure 2L passed with 51.7% of the vote, keeping Boulder on course to make history as first city to municipalize its electric company in years, and the only one ever to do it specifically to advance clean, local power
February 8th, 2018 | by John Farrell
Puerto Rico’s history of intervention and mismanagement created a financially disastrous backdrop for Hurricane Maria.
