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
States can significantly improve energy efficiency, as shown in this video. It illustrates the consistent improvement in the amount of GDP per capita generated per kilo-watt hour of electricity used in each state, from 1990-2008. Continue reading
In this 20 minute discussion, John Farrell discusses the updated and expanding edition of his report, Energy Self-Reliant States, that explains how states can overwhelmingly meet their electricity needs with in-state renewable resources. Continue reading
Available Now – Energy Self-Reliant States 2ed (also new wind estimates May 2010) How self-sufficient in energy generation could states be if they relied only on their own renewable resources? In November 2008, ILSR began to address this question in the first edition of Energy Self-Reliant States. That report included a limited set of resources… Continue reading
States donʼt need to seek energy imports to meet their renewable energy goals. Energy Self-Reliant States finds that almost the entire country west of the Mississippi and parts of the Eastern Seaboard (a total of 31 states) can serve all their electricity needs with in-state renewable power, and that every state could reach its renewable mandate with domestically available renewable resources. Continue reading
Schwarzenegger, citing concerns with protectionism, plans to veto the legislature’s ambitious 33% RPS by 2020 because it prizes in-state generation. But the California’s Energy Commission found in its Renewable Energy Transmission Initiative (RETI) that there’s not much savings to be had looking outside California’s borders. Continue reading
Friedman illustrates the three key components of a consistent and powerful renewable energy policy: anyone can generate, a guaranteed grid connection, and a reasonable and predictable price to do so. That’s the feed-in tariff. Continue reading
If the government hopes to stimulate the American economy with its renewable energy cash grants, it’s going about it backwards. Cash grants to locally owned renewable energy projects would secure the greatest bang for the buck, but the lion’s share of the renewable energy stimulus dollars are headed overseas to Spanish wind developer Iberdrola, who nabbed 60% of the $500 million in cash grants the Energy Department’s program provided to renewable energy producers. Continue reading
Can small-scale replace large-scale? With 100,000 mini gas-fired generators in homes, the answer is yes.
Cap-and-trade puts our carbon mitigation hopes in the hands of financial speculators. Could we do worse? Not by much. Continue reading
The Diane Rehm show hosted several prominent solar experts and Cool Earth Solar CEO Rob Lamkin noted the benefits of feed-in tariffs for reaching renewable energy targets. Continue reading
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