In this episode of our Voices of 100% series from Local Energy Rules, Mayor Breea Clark explains what drove Norman, Okla., to make the 100% renewable pledge and its plans to tackle the ambitious goal.… Read More
We’re inspired by the passage of the Portland Clean Energy Initiative this week, a ballot measure that will now provide $30 million per year for the city’s clean energy and climate work. Even better, the funds will target local energy deployment that lifts up low-income folks and people of color with energy savings and solar energy, as well as jobs installing these cost-saving measures. But there are other tools more readily at a city’s disposal for funding climate work.… Read More
For the past several months, Maine communities have been a hotbed of broadband activity. Bar Harbor, located midway along the state’s Atlantic coast, is another community looking at fiber as a necessary investment. According to a February article in the Mount Desert Islander, the town of 5,200 has decided to move forward with a feasibility study. … Read More
The Rochester City Council recently voted unanimously to move forward with a study on the possibilities of publicly owned broadband in this southeastern city. Rochester will then decide whether to move forward with bids to form a public-private partnership for a network, or pursue another path. After receiving dozens of calls from his constituents, City Councilman … Read More
As the feds continue to evaluate the wisdom of the Comcast/Time Warner Cable merger, local communities in several states are attempting to throw a wrench in the federal approval machine. In Worcester, Massachusetts, the City Council recently refused to approve the transfer of the city’s cable television license to Comcast. In order to sweet-talk the federal … Read More
Many cities served by private utilities think they have little capacity to encourage local renewable energy development. But a largely untapped tool – utility franchise contracts – may hold the key.… Read More
Community leaders in Lexington are the latest to stand at a fork in the broadband road. In September, the franchise agreement between the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) and Time Warner Cable expired, resulting in a month-to-month agreement continuation. As they negotiate a new contract, local citizens have called for consideration of a municipal network. When … Read More
What can an individual city or town do to fight climate change? A lot! View these slides from a presentation by ILSR’s Director of Democratic Energy John Farrell to the Northfield Climate Summit on January 18, 2014, to see what one small Minnesota town has done, what other steps it can take as part of the … Read More
The Logan Journal recently reported that the Russellville Electric Plant Board (EPB) now offers gigabit service to local businesses. The article notes that Net Index, an online tool to measure download and upload speeds, recognizes EPB as the first Gig city in Kentucky. To learn more about the community and its network, we talked with Robert White, … Read More
