Sticking Points on Value of Solar – Pt. 3 of Minnesota’s Process

Date: 31 Oct 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Round 3 of Minnesota’s stakeholder process on the value of solar power (10/15/13) focused on the remaining unresolved tensions between stakeholders, and it started with a reminder of the charge, with quotes from the enabling law. A utility may apply to the Public Utilities Commission for a value of solar tariff that compensates customers through a … Read More

Public Power Means Local Control

Date: 28 Oct 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In an unexpected move, the CEO of the American Public Power Association writes in to the Boulder Daily Camera to defend publicly-owned utilities against the investor-owned utility’s attacks during a campaign by local citizens to take over the incumbent electric utility. … Read More

Big Utility’s Two-Faced Talk on Low-Carbon Energy [infographic]

Date: 25 Oct 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

What happens when a monopoly utility sees a threat to their business model? A lot of two-faced talking to regulators about the best carbon-free energy sources. Read here for more background.     Like what you see?  Get a weekly email on Democratic Energy, or follow us on Twitter:

Monopoly Utility (n): see “two-faced”

Date: 24 Oct 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Two weeks ago, I listened – incredulously – to Minnesota’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, suggest that solar energy offers its ratepayers no value as an environmental hedge against carbon emissions or as a price hedge against natural gas fuel price fluctuations. But just three days later, Xcel was singing a different tune [docket pdf] to the … Read More

Watch: Why Coal and Nuclear (Baseload) Are Not Compatible with a Renewable Future

Date: 16 Oct 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 2 Facebooktwitterredditmail

As renewable energy grows, the grid needs to grow more flexible to accommodate variations in the wind and sun. This video explains the limitations of “baseload” nuclear and coal power plants to work alongside large amounts of clean power.… Read More

Debating the Value of Solar – Pt. 2 of Minnesota’s Process

Date: 8 Oct 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

It was an unseasonably sunny day for part two of Minnesota’s value of solar stakeholder process: participation day. The leadoff was the Department of Commerce’s proposed approach to a value of solar methodology.  Shown below, it set some broad principles the Department intends to use in the value of solar formula it develops:     Accuracy … Read More

New Report: 8 Ways Local Energy Policies Can Boost the Economy

Date: 7 Oct 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Press Release | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Minneapolis, MN (October 7, 2013) – The economy has stalled and so has the war on climate change. But a new report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance describes how dozens of cities are boosting their local economies while dramatically reducing greenhouse gases. City Power Play:  8 Practical Local Energy Policies to Boost the Economy reports … Read More

12 Slides for 8 Practical Local Energy Policies to Boost the Economy

Date: 7 Oct 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

A vividly visual summary of our newest report, City Power Play: 8 Practical Local Energy Policies to Boost the Economy, this presentation covers eight powerful policies and practices that cities have employed to reduce energy use, save money, and create local jobs, all without waiting for someone else to act. It provides short case studies of … Read More

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