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About John Farrell

John Farrell directs the Energy Self-Reliant States and Communities program at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and he focuses on energy policy developments that best expand the benefits of local ownership and dispersed generation of renewable energy. More

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CLEAN-states-map
Featured Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 14 Comments | Updated on Jun 11, 2012

U.S. CLEAN Programs: Where Are We Now? What Have We Learned?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/u-s-clean-programs-now-learned/

This report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance identifies all of the existing CLEAN (Clean Local Energy Accessible Now) programs in the United States (also known as feed-in tariffs) and examines the lessons learned from the early adopters. Download the report [pdf] Read on the Kindle, Nook, or Apple iBooks Executive Summary CLEAN programs (Clean… Continue reading

solar-power-minnesota-cover
Featured Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Jun 8, 2012

Solar Power for Minnesota

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/solar-power-minnesota/

This report, done for the Solar Works for Minnesota campaign, explores the value of solar power on schools, libraries, and other public buildings in Minnesota.  It was co-authored by John Farrell of ILSR and Christina Mills of IEER. Download the Report Highlights Minnesotans spend more than $20 billion dollars every year on these energy imports…. Continue reading

Photo by Zane Selvans
Rule filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Jun 7, 2012

Colorado Caps Solar Permitting Fees

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/colorado-caps-solar-permitting-fees/

The state of Colorado passed a law in 2011 to solve the problem of inconsistent and expensive solar permitting costs. A national study recently found that local permitting can increase the cost of residential solar by 15-20%, a problem that becomes more pressing as the cost of solar hardware falls. Colorado’s Fair Permit Act (HB… Continue reading

Vermont-Solar-Permitting-Form
Article, Rule filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 4 Comments | Updated on Jun 7, 2012

Vermont’s Streamlined Solar Permitting

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/vermonts-streamlined-solar-permitting/

The state of Vermont has come up with a good rule for reducing the cost of solar power installations. A national study recently found that local permitting can increase the cost of residential solar by 15-20%, a problem that becomes more pressing as the cost of solar hardware falls. Vermont’s rule shifts the burden of… Continue reading

stone arch and power line
Article, ILSR Press Room filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on May 23, 2012

An Energy Switch, Waiting to be Flipped

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/energy-switch-waiting-flipped/

Minneapolis Star Tribune – May 23, 2012 Minnesota spends more than $20 billion a year on energy — primarily importing polluting fossil fuels — and the state’s utilities typically lobby against decreasing our dependency. This hampers our economy and harms our environment. Fortunately, cities don’t have to rely on the Legislature to stand up for… Continue reading

floridatimesunion
Article, ILSR Press Room filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on May 17, 2012

We Need Energy From Many Sources

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/energy-sources/

Florida Times-Union, May 17, 2012 There are a few key principles to remember about energy: As more of the world moves to the middle class, energy needs will grow enormously. “The absolute numbers are staggering,” writes Daniel Yergin, author of “The Quest: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World.” He provides deep background… Continue reading

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 1 Comment | Updated on May 14, 2012

Could Securitization Democratize Solar Power?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/securitization-democratize-solar-power/

After Wall Street popularized the term “mortgage-backed securities” in their destruction of the economy in 2008, you could be forgiven for thinking “solar securities” are a pyramid scheme.  But in truth, they may hold the key to democratizing the financing and the ownership of distributed renewable energy. Right now, financing solar typically means looking for… Continue reading

gchart-usa-germany-household-electricity-consumption
Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 5 Comments | Updated on May 11, 2012

Could the U.S. Cut Household Electricity Use by Two-Thirds?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/u-s-cut-household-electricity-two-thirds/

Your mind-blowing chart of the day, courtesy of Arne Jungjohann at the Heinrich Böll Foundation. Source for U.S. use; source for German use; used U.S. average household size of 2.6. Continue reading

3rd_Party_PPA_map
Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 2 Comments | Updated on May 9, 2012

Map of State 3rd Party PPA Rules

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/map-state-3rd-party-ppa-rules/

In lieu of smarter policy, schools, libraries, and city buildings hoping to install solar power have to resort to complex public-private partnerships to access federal tax incentives.  One common strategy is the power purchase agreement (PPA). In essence, a PPA allows the public building owner to buy solar electricity on contract from a third party… Continue reading

Solar parking lot canopy
Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on May 8, 2012

Overturning the ’15% Rule’ Expands the Distributed Generation Opportunity in California

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/overturning-15-rule-expands-distributed-generation-opportunity-california/

If you haven’t heard yet, there’s a “rule” that precludes distributed renewable energy projects from supplying more than 15% of the power to most “distribution circuits” (part of the low-voltage electric grid that brings power into homes and businesses).  With the rapidly falling cost of solar power, many places in the country are starting to… Continue reading