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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

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

five-cities-denounce-verizoncomcast-spectrum-deal
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

the-future-of-the-internet-by-tnr-and-vint-cerf
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

senator-lautenberg-asks-fcc-chair-about-muni-broadband-barriers
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on May 26, 2012

Senator Lautenberg Asks FCC Chair About Muni Broadband Barriers

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/senator-lautenberg-asks-fcc-chair-about-muni-broadband-barriers

Free Press caught and isolated an excellent question from Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) to FCC Chairman Genachowski during recent hearings. The Senator notes that many Americans do not have sufficient access to broadband but 19 states have enacted barriers to make it harder for communities to build their own. FCC Chairman said he thinks innovative… Continue reading

senator-franken-calls-on-fcc-to-actually-enforce-its-rules
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on May 16, 2012

Senator Franken Calls on FCC to Actually Enforce Its Rules

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/senator-franken-calls-fcc-actually-enforce-its-rules

One of the reasons we so strongly support local, community owned broadband networks over European-like regulations on private companies is that large institutions regularly game the rules. We wrote about this last year, when Free Press called on the FCC to stop Verizon from ignoring the rules it agreed to for using certain spectrum. Senator… Continue reading

susan-crawford-keynote-at-the-next-web-conference
Article filed under Broadband | Written by Christopher | No Comments | Updated on May 15, 2012

Susan Crawford Keynote at The Next Web Conference

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.muninetworks.org/content/susan-crawford-keynote-next-web-conference

Susan Crawford on the importance of government policy. People who are concerned about the future of the Internet need to pay attention or the cable and telephone companies will take over the Internet (or at least access to it). Not because they are evil, but because what is best for them (or what they think… Continue reading