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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 3 Comments | Updated on Apr 4, 2012

Lots of Solar Power May Reduce, Not Increase, Electricity Prices

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

Whether German feed-in tariffs or U.S. tax incentives, opponents of solar rail at its perceived high cost. But a story making rounds this week, “why power generators are terrified of solar,” presents a powerful image that may flip this conventional wisdom on its head. Building lots of solar power can actually reduce electricity prices, to… Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Mar 30, 2012

Chattanooga Sees Rewards, Benefits From Community Fiber Enabled Smart Grid

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/chattanooga-sees-rewards-benefits-community-fiber-enabled-smart-grid

The Chattanooga Times Free Press, reports that the City’s last IntelliRuptor, or “smart switch,” will be installed on April 24th. No wonder EPB was named one of The Networked Grid – Top Ten Utility Smart Grid Deployments in North America by Greentech Media. EPB also received a special award for Best Distribution Automation, thanks to… Continue reading

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Article, ILSR Press Room filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 26, 2012

ILSR’s John Farrell Discusses How Solar Can Compete With Utilities

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/ilsrs-john-farrell-discusses-how-solar-can-compete-with-utilities-on-mpr-org/

Minnesota Public Radio, March 26, 2012 In this article, ILSR Senior Researcher John Farrell discusses how the coming of cheap solar may change everything. Most Americans think clean energy is futuristic — a good idea some day, but not practical now. But a new report from the Institute for Local Self Reliance suggests that within… Continue reading

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Mar 23, 2012

Solar Policy Can Advance (or Delay) Grid Parity by a Decade

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/solar-policy-can-advance-or-delay-grid-parity-by-a-decade/

In their excellent interactive graphic, Bloomberg Energy Finance calls solar grid parity (when electricity from solar costs less than grid power) the “golden goal.”  It’s an excellent illustration of how the right energy policy can help a nation go gold on solar or wallow in metallurgical obscurity.  In the case of the U.S., it may… Continue reading

Rooftop Solar Installation
Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 13 Comments | Updated on Mar 21, 2012

Rooftop Revolution: Changing Everything with Cost-Effective Local Solar

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/rooftop-revolution-changing-everything-with-cost-effective-local-solar/

With the cost of solar power plunging and retail electric prices rising, 100 million Americans in the nation’s largest cities will be able to “go solar” for a lower price than grid electricity in the next ten years. Seizing this opportunity requires rethinking electricity policy and planning even while solar produces less than 1% of… Continue reading

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 27, 2012

Get a Local Clean Energy Future by Trading-in the 20th Century Electric Grid

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/local-clean-energy-future-trading-in-20th-century-electric-grid/

In a New York Times SundayReview piece last week – Drawing the Line at Power Lines – Elisabeth Rosenthal suggested that our desire for clean energy will require significant tradeoffs: There are pipelines, trains, trucks and high-voltage transmission lines. None of them are pretty, and all have environmental drawbacks. But if you want to drive… Continue reading

Cost of Distributed Solar versus Centralized Solar Power
Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 24, 2012

Distributed Generation Hits Sweet Spot in Cost v. Transmission

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/distributed-generation-hits-sweet-spot-in-cost-v-transmission/

Update 3/27/12: added clarification to text and chart that prices include federal tax incentives If the cost of electricity were the only factor in energy discussions, we’d probably have a lot more coal and a lot less renewable energy.  But the truth is that renewable energy can compete on cost and distributed renewable energy has… Continue reading

Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on Feb 16, 2012

Bloomberg: The Case for Publicly Owned Internet Service

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/bloomberg-case-publicly-owned-internet-service

Susan Crawford’s op-ed in Bloomberg makes a tremendous case for publicly owned broadband networks.
She notes the importance of broadband and the failure of big cable and DSL companies to meet… Continue reading

Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 14, 2012

EPA’s Green Power Partnership Helps Big Corporations Greenwash

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/epas-green-power-partnership-helps-big-corporations-greenwash/

Update 4/23/13: EPA has updated its rankings to reflect green power as a percentage of total electricity use, accurately portraying Walmart’s paltry 4% renewable energy. While I generally have nothing but praise for the Environmental Protection Agency, their Green Power Partnership program falls short of the agency’s usual standard.  In particular, the program – providing… Continue reading

U.S. Installed Solar PV Capacity 2004-2011
Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 1 Comment | Updated on Feb 2, 2012

How Distributed Solar Can Reduce Electricity Prices

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/how-distributed-solar-can-reduce-electricity-prices/

What if installing more solar could reduce electricity prices? It’s already happening in Germany, world leader in solar power, and it’s likely to happen in the U.S., too. Continue reading