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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 4 Comments | Updated on Jun 14, 2012

Phase-Out of the Federal Wind Tax Credit a Good Thing?

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/phase-out-federal-wind-tax-credit-good-thing/

Energy and Environment News has a very long story on a new angle for the federal wind tax credit debate: a phaseout. This article raises several issues, apart from that policy strategy, that are worth a quick discussion. 1. Why Would Wind Compete with Natural Gas? The article waxes long about the trials of the… Continue reading

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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

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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

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

Vermont Streamlines Solar Permitting

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

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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/rule/solar-permitting/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

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

Solar Permitting

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

In a recent report, SunRun and Vote Solar revealed that permitting costs were rapidly becoming a much more significant portion of the cost of a small-scale solar installation, nearly 20%!  Some states have responded with policies designed to streamline and reduce the costs of permitting. 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

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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

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Article filed under Broadband | Written by Lisa Gonzalez | No Comments | Updated on Jun 6, 2012

Five Cities Denounce Verizon/Comcast Spectrum Deal

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/five-cities-denounce-verizoncomcast-spectrum-deal

If you live in Boston, Baltimore, Albany, Syracuse, or Buffalo, you won’t be getting FiOS from Verizon. Absent any public investment, you will likely be stuck with DSL and cable… like 80% of the rest of us. Not long after Verizon announced it would cease expanding FiOS, we learned that Verizon was coming to an… Continue reading

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Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on May 27, 2012

The Future of the Internet, by TNR and Vint Cerf

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/future-internet-tnr-and-vint-cerf

In a recent editorial (May 24 issue), The New Republic argued that the Obama Administration was doing a decent job on Internet policy and obliquely referenced an article discussing carrier opposition to community broadband. The op-ed begins, Politicians aren’t always especially thoughtful about, or even familiar with, information technology. George W. Bush used the term… Continue reading