Sparking Grid Savings Starts at Home

Date: 2 Sep 2020 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

This 2020 update to a 2016 report finds that while new technology has made electricity demand response simple and cost-effective, and has opened the opportunity for residential savings, utility implementation of demand response programs is lagging.… Read More

ILSR Submits Critique of Xcel Energy’s Value of Solar Calculation to Minnesota Regulators

Date: 3 Dec 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In November, ILSR submitted joint comments with Community Power and Cooperative Energy Futures to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commision expressing concerns about Xcel Energy’s 2019 Value of Solar calculation. The comments outline issues with the company’s assumptions and ways to improve them.… Read More

Visualizing California’s Booming Solar Market

Date: 15 Aug 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Today, California claims a whopping 750,000 unique solar projects — an order of magnitude more than the number that existed in the state a decade ago. We illustrate this impressive, rapid expansion of solar projects throughout California over time in a cool, new animated map.… Read More

What to Consider When Planning for Electric Vehicles

Date: 30 Jul 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In the coming years, as electric vehicle ownership and charging infrastructure grow, communities and the energy system will be transformed. This month, we submitted comments to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to inform a regulatory process on accommodating the expansion of electric vehicle use.… Read More

Supporting Affordable Residential Access to Community Solar in Minnesota

Date: 3 May 2018 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

In April, ILSR submitted comments in support of affordable residential access to community solar for review by Minnesota’s Public Utilities Commission. These comments concerned a proposed residential adder framework outlined as part of the state’s community solar program and Minnesota Department of Commerce Value of Solar calculation. We argue that, in a recent analysis submitted to the Commission by Xcel Energy, the utility exaggerated costs likely to be incurred under this new framework. Our comments support those made by allies such as Cooperative Energy Futures and advocate for adder calculations that ensure financeability and broad participation among residential subscribers to the state’s community solar program.… Read More

Small-Scale Solar Contributes 13% of New Power Plant Capacity in 2014

Date: 10 Mar 2015 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The growth of solar has continued at a furious pace, with a new record of 6.2 gigawatts installed in the United States in 2014. But the bigger tale may be the persistent growth of small-scale solar, on residential and non-residential rooftops (and property).  These projects, a megawatt or smaller, contributed 13% of new power plant capacity … Read More

The Three Biggest Solar Charts of 2014

Date: 6 Jan 2015 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 3 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The rise of solar power allows a further democratizing of the electricity system, and these charts illustrate how 2014 was a banner year for solar, but particularly distributed solar power. Apologies for the re-post of these charts, but I wanted to do a year-in-review approach to these solar charts. First, the following chart shows that 2014 opened … Read More

A 2-Year City Workplan for Energy Democracy

Date: 21 Nov 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 0 Facebooktwitterredditmail

The first-in-the-nation city-utility partnership has been framed in Minneapolis, but can the city and its utilities really deliver substantive movement toward an equitable energy economy in the next two years?

It all depends on the workplan, and the grassroots team at Minneapolis Energy Options has delivered.… Read More

We Have “Value for Solar,” but Should We Use It?

Date: 21 Oct 2014 | posted in: Energy, Energy Self Reliant States | 6 Facebooktwitterredditmail

Earlier this year, Minnesota became the first state to formalize dozens of studies by adopting a “value of solar” formula that would fundamentally change the relationship between solar energy producers and their utility. It’s designed to have the utility accurately compensate solar energy producers for the value of solar electricity to the utility, its customers, and … Read More

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