Spreading Like Wildfire: An Interest In Making Electric Power Public
March 6th, 2020 | by John Farrell
Originally published at ILSR.org. By Lilli Ambort On the morning of November 8th, 2019, a live wire broke free of its grip [&hellip
About John Farrell
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.
Author Archives: John Farrell
Report: Designing Community Solar Programs That Promote Racial & Economic Equity
March 2nd, 2020 | by John Farrell
This white paper provides guidance for creating community solar programs that promote racial and economic equity. It defines what makes a community solar program equitable, and states objectives that community solar programs striving to be equitable can pursue related to program structure, consumer participation, compensation, and other policy areas
Report: Community Choice Energy
February 24th, 2020 | by John Farrell
An alternative to electricity monopolies enables communities to center people and planet
The 2020 Community Power Scorecard
February 10th, 2020 | by John Farrell
Each year, the Institute for Local Self-Reliance tracks and scores states based on their energy policies and how these policies help or hinder local clean energy action. In the 2020 Community Power Scorecard, two states excelled, seven states and the District of Columbia saw above average scores, 11 were average, 17 were mediocre, and 13 states received failing grades at enabling individuals and communities to take charge of their energy futures
National Community Solar Programs Tracker
January 13th, 2020 | by John Farrell
Community solar can happen in any state sharing two key market characteristics: virtual net metering and requirements for utilities to connect distributed solar to the grid (interconnection rules). Community solar program legislation can include both elements. 16 states have passed legislation enabling community shared solar gardens, but only four have active programs with multiple installations
Oregon Nears Launch Of A Solid Community Solar Program
December 16th, 2019 | by John Farrell
Adopted by the legislature in 2016, it’s been a long wait for Oregon’s community solar program to launch. Technically, it hasn’t yet, but the program rules are final enough to show that this program scores well on the four principles for community renewable energy
Island Utility Aims For Two-Thirds Renewable Energy By 2020
December 10th, 2019 | by John Farrell
A cooperative utility in Hawaii has reduced its electricity prices, multiplied its renewable energy capacity, and increased its grid resiliency — all without relying on neighboring utilities, because there are none
Voices of 100%: When 100% Renewable Electricity Isn’t Enough, Burlington Targets Net Zero
November 25th, 2019 | by John Farrell
More than 100 cities have committed to 100% renewable electricity transitions, with most hoping to get there by 2030 or 2050. Burlington, Vermont already achieved this goal five years ago
How Market Power Gives Electric Utilities Political Power
November 18th, 2019 | by John Farrell
In the pathway to 100% renewable energy lie electric utilities. Since the time of electrification until the 1990s, every electric utility was a monopoly -- it owned everything to deliver electricity from the power plants (and sometimes even the coal mines) to the transmission lines to the substations to the distribution lines to the meter on your home or business. With a market monopoly, utilities have enormous political power to promote or avoid change
A New Deal For Electric Co-ops: How Members Can Exercise Ownership To Strengthen Democracy
November 11th, 2019 | by John Farrell
While most Americans get their electricity from a private company, about 1 in 8 Americans actually own their utility as a member-owner of a rural electric cooperative. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Liz Veazey, Network Director of We Own It, and Chris Woolery, Residential Energy Coordinator at the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development
National Community Solar Program Tracker
November 4th, 2019 | by John Farrell
Originally published at ilsr.org. Updated Quarterly How are Community Solar Garden programs doing across the country? For decades, rooftop solar [&hellip
Why Minnesota’s Community Solar Program Is The Best
October 28th, 2019 | by John Farrell
According to ILSR’s analysis, all customers (subscribers or not) are seeing financial benefits from community solar. The $2.2 million figure does not include factoring in the distribution capacity value of solar nor the potential volatility of gas prices that are avoided, nor does it include the benefits of shifting wealth from power generation ownership away from a private monopoly and to a broad set of subscribers across the state
How City Policy Can Reduce Gas Use
October 21st, 2019 | by John Farrell
In this webinar, Institute for Local Self-Reliance Energy Democracy Initiative director John Farrell is joined by Karl Rábago of the Pace Energy and Climate Center to discuss city-level strategies to reduce gas use
Of New Power Generation, How Much Is On The Roof? Quarterly Update – 2019 Q2
October 14th, 2019 | by John Farrell
Renewable resources dropped back below 50% of new power generation in the second quarter of 2019. Although the proportion of distributed solar has grown in the last two quarters, losses in the growth of utility solar and wind allowed the majority share to be gas, once again. Despite this setback in percentage, renewables are making up a greater portion of new capacity than they have in previous second quarters of 2017 and
Report Re-Release: Is Bigger Best In Renewable Energy?
October 8th, 2019 | by John Farrell
Conventional wisdom suggests the biggest wind and solar power plants will be cheapest, but where they deliver power, and who will own them, matters more
Community Power Interactive Toolkit
September 30th, 2019 | by John Farrell
Don’t know where to start in expanding local clean energy in your community? This interactive tool provides examples of over 20 tested tools used by cities and towns across the country to increase local clean energy, reduce energy use, and fight climate change
Why Minnesota’s Community Solar Program Is The Best
September 23rd, 2019 | by John Farrell
Minnesota’s community solar program hit a record 613 megawatts of operational capacity in September 2019. The chart below shows the progress of projects through the program since August 2015, and the nearly two-year lag between the program launch in December 2014 and the successful ignition of multiple megawatts of capacity in January
Do Solar Salespeople Oversell Savings?
September 9th, 2019 | by John Farrell
For home or business owners considering solar, their solar developer predicts how much electricity the system will produce and how much the cost of electricity will increase over the years. Just how accurate are these predictions of rooftop solar savings
The Environment, The Economy, & Equity
September 3rd, 2019 | by John Farrell
On this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Denise Fairchild, President of the Emerald Cities Collaborative, about Energy Democracy. As co-editor of the book, Fairchild helps explain the concept of energy democracy to Farrell for a recent episode of ILSR’s Building Local Power podcast, republished in a slightly shorter version for Local Energy Rules
Voices Of 100%: Cleveland Commits To Clean & Equitable Energy
August 5th, 2019 | by John Farrell
Cleveland was once the center of the oil refining industry – and the environmental pollution that accompanied it. Can an economy born of fossil fuels rise from the ashes, promote renewables, and proceed to an equitable and clean-powered future
Lights Out? Not For This Michigan City — Episode 81 Of Local Energy Rules Podcast
July 23rd, 2019 | by John Farrell
In 2011, the neighborhoods of Highland Park, Michigan, went dark. The utility company had repossessed streetlights to collect on the city’s debt. Unwilling to stand idly by, the people of Highland Park organized to light the streets themselves using off-grid, renewable energy
Utilities Bid To Own Rooftop Solar Even As They Oppose It
July 15th, 2019 | by John Farrell
Four years have passed since ILSR’s initial report on utility-owned rooftop solar, and this 2019 update shows small growth but some potentially large repercussions. This update rehashes the costs and benefits, updates the progress of the four initial programs, highlights a few new programs, and discusses the wider implications
Voices Of 100%: Can Philadelphia & Its Suburbs Revolutionize Their Local Energy System?
July 8th, 2019 | by John Farrell
What gives the suburbs of Philadelphia an edge over the central city in making commitments to 100% renewable energy
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