Paul Spencer and the Community Solar ‘Holy Grail’ – Episode 6 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

Date: 5 Apr 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

This week John Farrell and Wade Underwood talk with Paul Spencer, President and founder of the Clean Energy Collective (CEC) in Carbondale, CO. The CEC is pioneering the process of delivering clean power-generation through medium-scale (mostly solar) facilities that are collectively owned by participating utility customers. In many ways, their community energy model is the “holy grail” because it has proven replicable in several places around the United States.… Read More

Solar Costs and Grid Prices On a Collision Course

Date: 4 Apr 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 1 Facebooktwitterredditmail

With the cost of solar continuing to fall rapidly (50% in the past five years) and electricity prices rising steadily, if slowly, the approach of solar grid parity is near. The following chart illustrates the trajectory of solar cost and electricity price, hinting at the coming intersection. 1 The chart compares the cost of a residential … Read More

Los Angeles Utility Goes for Local Solar with 100 MW Feed-In Tariff

Date: 3 Apr 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Officially launched in January after years of development, a new CLEAN (feed-in tariff) program from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (the city’s municipal electric utility) promises 100 MW of new local renewable energy by 2016.  In absolute size, the program will be among the largest CLEAN programs in the U.S., but compared to the … Read More

The Coming Solar Electricity Transformation

Date: 27 Mar 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 1 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Solar cells are unusual in that they were cost-competitive from the get-go. From the Apollo space program to highway signs to lighting for buoys, solar could replace highly expensive power from batteries or other sources and eliminate the need for the construction of electric distribution lines.1 When the Institute for Local Self-Reliance was founded in 1974, … Read More

Listen: John Farrell Talks Local Energy Ownership with Arnie Arnesen on WNHN

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

Can energy decisions be made locally, energy generated locally, and energy owned locally?  John answers those questions and talks about Solar 1.0 through 4.0 in this 20-minute discussion on Attitude with Arnie Arnesen on New Hampshire’s WNHN on March 20, 2013.

Susan Osborne and Boulder’s Clean Energy Takeover – Episode 5 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

Date: 22 Mar 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States, Podcast | 1 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In this episode of Local Energy Rules, John Farrell and Wade Underwood talk with Susan Osborne, the former Mayor of Boulder, CO, about that city’s effort to take control of its energy future. … Read More

Two Ways Americans May Get More Ownership of their Energy Future

Date: 20 Mar 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 1 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Three years ago, the prospects for Americans to own their energy future seemed relatively bleak. There were almost no replicable models for doing community-based energy projects or investment, despite falling costs and technology – solar and wind – that lend themselves to local development. But thanks to recent opportunities in community solar and crowdfunding, we may … Read More

The Making of a Midwestern Solar Energy Standard

Date: 14 Mar 2013 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 2 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Last night, the House Energy Policy Committee in the Minnesota state legislature voted 8-6 to approve a 4% by 2025 solar energy standard, with an innovative new approach to financing solar power.  It’s a powerful first step for what would be one of the more robust policies to support distributed, local solar power in the country. … Read More

Randy Caviness and Community Wind in Iowa – Episode 4 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

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

Community wind projects are relatively rare, but allow numerous investors to share in the financial benefits of owning wind power. After the 2008 financial crisis, several projects were successful, tapping limited-time-only federal tax incentives. In March 2013, John Farrell and Wade Underwood spoke with community wind power developer and farmer Randy Caviness about his Green Energy … Read More

1 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 115