Local Energy Rules

In a dynamic Stephen Fischmann refers to as a “continual shakedown,” utilities in New Mexico often refuse to act unless they’re generously compensated. They get away with it, he says, because they’re monopolies.

Patrick Robbins was outraged when a fracked gas pipeline was proposed in his mom's West Village neighborhood. So he helped form the Public Power NY Coalition - the main author of New York state’s 2023 Build Public Renewables Act, a model for other states and municipalities seeking energy independence while addressing climate change and social justice.

A University of Michigan research team set out to envision a future without the status quo of investor-owned utilities. Here are four alternatives.

The Florida Legislature removed local control of Gainesville’s century-old municipal utility, but Commissioner Bryan Eastman explains how the city plans to take it back. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/articles/public-power-ballot-florida-ler221/| Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/energy/local-energy-rules-podcast/ | Don't forget to subs...

Jani Hale and Liz Veazy from Solar United Neighbors explain how the Solar Help Desk aids consumers and how the group organizes people to fight for solar rights. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/article/solar-help-desk-agenda-free-ler220/ | Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/energy/local-energy-rules-podcast/ | Don't forget to subscribe, sh...

Shelley Welton discusses why utilities cannot be trusted to coordinate their electricity transmission plans and how an independent planning authority could step in where federal regulators have floundered. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/articles/crashing-utility-transmission-planning-party-ler219/ | Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/ene...

Toyah Callahan and Zach Greene discuss how the SolSmart technical assistance platform supports local governments as they streamline their solar permitting, inspection, and zoning processes, making it easier for residents to go solar. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/cities-simplify-rooftop-solar-ler218/ | Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org...

Tim Hade and Leah Stokes discuss how, through the coordination of a virtual power plant, distributed energy generation and storage will provide resilient and affordable electric power to a vulnerable area of Santa Barbara County. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/stokes-hade-climate-resilience-california-ler217/ | Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://...

John Farrell summarizes ILSR’s recent report, Upcharge: Hidden Costs of Electric Utility Monopoly Power, and makes the case for restoring competition to the electricity system. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/how-monopoly-utilities-abuse-power-ler216/ | Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/local-energy-rules-podcast-homepage | Don't forget...

Doug Kantor discusses why the electric vehicle charging market must be competitive, rather than controlled by utilities, and why convenience stores are particularly suited to provide vehicle fueling wherever customers are. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/the-cost-utility-controlled-vehicle-charging-ler215/ | Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr...

Bracken Hendricks discusses how Working Power, a community development and financing platform, helps community-based organizations retain ownership of clean energy projects and the financial benefits of clean energy investment. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/financing-platform-solar-ownership-ler214/ | Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/...

Jeremy Kalin discusses the evolution of federal tax incentives for renewable energy and how the direct pay provision of the Inflation Reduction Act will deliver more financial benefits to cities, counties, and nonprofits. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/solar-incentives-direct-pay-ler213/ | Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/local-energy-...

Out of the legislative fight over the nuclear plant next door, Prairie Island Indian Community is building its own net zero energy future, on part three of our special series, Seven Hundreds Yards. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/articles/700-yards-pt3-seven-generations-ler212/ | Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/local-energy-rules-podca...

In part two of our special series, Seven Hundred Yards, we find out why the nuclear waste “temporarily” stored on Prairie Island is still there 30 years later. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/articles/700-yards-pt2-pretend-democracy-ler211| Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/local-energy-rules-podcast-homepage | Don't forget to subscribe,...

Prairie Island community members and experts explain how powerful players allowed a nuclear plant to be built less than 700 yards away from the Native Nation, in part one of our special series, Seven Hundred Yards. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/articles/700-yards-pt1-small-island-ler210/ | Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/local-energy...

Advocating for a distributed, democratized clean energy transition involves a never-ending series of legal and regulatory battles. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Mariel Nanasi, executive director of New Energy Economy. They discuss New Energy Economy’s efforts before lawmakers, regulators, and courts to protect consumers from the nefarious plans...

A community-owned clean energy project has a lot more to offer than just electricity. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Christina Hollenback, CEO of Justice Capital, and Joseph McNeil, CEO of SAGE Development Authority. They discuss how SAGE Development Authority has created a model for community-led wind development and why community ownership is s...

DTE Energy is not meeting Ann Arbor’s needs for reliable, renewable electricity. Could a municipal takeover be the answer to residents’ pleas? For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Gregory Woodring, the president and founder of Ann Arbor for Public Power. They discuss the ways that investor-owned utility DTE Energy has failed Ann Arbor customers and how...

Local solar offers relief from exorbitant electric rates, but San Diego may need a different utility business model to see dramatic savings. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Dorrie Bruggemann and Bill Powers, Campaign Coordinator and Campaign Chair of the Power San Diego ballot initiative. They discuss how a publicly-owned electric utility would be...

An April election could make an Arizona utility accountable to all of its customers. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Charlie Fisher, Executive Director of Arizonans for a Clean Economy. They discuss the upcoming Salt River Project election and how clean energy advocates could flip the public utility’s board and reverse anti-solar and anti-democrat...

Technology is outpacing laws and regulations in the energy industry, too. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Michael Murray, President of Mission:data Coalition. Murray explains the many capabilities of smart meters, his critique of a Rhode Island utility proposal to expand advanced metering, and how state and federal regulators can establish best pr...

Coordinated grid services benefit virtually everyone — with the exception of utility shareholders. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Chris Rauscher, Head of Grid Services and Virtual Power Plants at Sunrun. Sunrun has partnered with utilities to reward their residential customers who dispatch electricity stored in batteries when the grid needs it. R...

Monopoly utilities give distributed energy advocates little time to celebrate their victories. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Pouya Najmaie, Policy and Regulatory Director at Cooperative Energy Futures. They discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Minnesota’s community solar program, its many regulatory and legislative changes over the years, and...

Monopoly energy utilities have accrued vast service territories and extraordinary financial power — which they have used to purchase political power. At this point, state regulatory and legislative bodies can only do so much to rein them in. In this episode from the Local Energy Rules archive, host John Farrell speaks with Howard Crystal and Liz Veazey. Crystal, Legal Director of the Energy Justic...

Local Energy Rules is celebrating a milestone! For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell reflects on 10 years of making the podcast, what he has learned from over 200 guests, and answers some listener questions. Explore more resources at the link below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/200-episodes-10-lessons-ler200/