Local Energy Rules

Paying Solar Incentives Direct to Nonprofits — Episode 213 of Local Energy Rules

Seven Hundred Yards Pt. 3: Seven Generations to Come — Episode 212 of Local Energy Rules

Seven Hundred Yards Pt. 2: Pretend Democracy — Episode 211 of Local Energy Rules

Seven Hundred Yards Pt. 1: A Small Island in the Mississippi — Episode 210 of Local Energy Rules

Less than 700 yards is all that separates Prairie Island Indian Community homes from the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant and its growing stockpile of nuclear waste. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with community members and experts to learn more about the history of Prairie Island Indian Community and the construction of the nuclear plant next door. This is part one in a special three-part series, Seven Hundred Yards: How a Native Nation...

Seven Hundred Yards Pt. 1: A Small Island in the Mississippi — Episode 210 of Local Energy Rules

Advocate Puts Full Court Pressure on Utilities

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 of New Mexico’s investor-owned utilities. Listen to the full episode and explore more resource...

Advocate Puts Full Court Pressure on Utilities — Episode 209 of Local Energy Rules

Standing Rock’s Wind Project Puts People First

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 so important to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Listen to the full episode and explore more reso...

Standing Rock’s Wind Project Puts People First — Episode 208 of Local Energy Rules

Ann Arbor’s Public Pathway to Reliable Power

Gregory Woodring discusses the ways that investor-owned utility DTE Energy has failed Ann Arbor customers and how the city could take over and provide better service.… Read More

Ann Arbor’s Public Pathway to Reliable Power — Episode 207 of Local Energy Rules

A San Diego Solar Takeover

Dorrie Bruggemann and Bill Powers discuss how a publicly-owned San Diego electric utility would be more supportive of distributed solar, offer lower rates thanks to that solar, and what it will take to bring the municipalization decision to voters.… Read More

A San Diego Solar Takeover — Episode 206 of Local Energy Rules

Arizona’s High Stakes Utility Election — Episode 205 of Local Energy Rules

Smarter Rules for Smart Meters

Michael 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 practices for fairness and data access.… Read More

Smarter Rules for Smart Meters — Episode 204 of Local Energy Rules

The Concrete Benefits of Virtual Power Plants

Chris Rauscher explains the benefits of coordinating distributed energy resources, how residential solar and storage customers have saved their neighbors from blackouts, and why every utility could be offering a virtual power plant program.… Read More

The Concrete Benefits of Virtual Power Plants — Episode 203 of Local Energy Rules

10 Years of Minnesota’s Community Solar Program

Pouya Najmaie discusses the strengths and weaknesses of Minnesota’s community solar program, its many regulatory and legislative changes over the years, and how utility Xcel Energy has found a new way to try to suppress distributed generation.… Read More

10 Years of Minnesota’s Community Solar Program — Episode 202 of Local Energy Rules

Petitioners Ask Feds to Investigate Utility Abuses of Monopoly Power

In this episode from the archive, Howard Crystal and Liz Veazey discuss a petition to the Federal Trade Commission and why electric utility practices require federal investigation. ILSR first published this interview in June of 2022.… Read More

Petitioners Ask Feds to Investigate Utility Abuses of Monopoly Power — Episode 201 of Local Energy Rules

200 Episodes, 10 Lessons, and Your Questions — Episode 200 of Local Energy Rules

200 Episodes, 10 Lessons, and Your Questions

For this milestone 200th episode, John Farrell reflects on 10 years of making the Local Energy Rules podcast, shares what he has learned from over 200 guests, and answers some listener questions.… Read More

Scaling Up Home Energy Investment — Episode 199 of Local Energy Rules

Scaling Up Home Energy Investment

Matt Flaherty discusses the barriers to home energy upgrades, how inclusive utility investment is a scalable solution that addresses many of these barriers, and what it will take to get utilities on board with on-bill financing.… Read More

Loopholes and Scams in New York Gas Plans — Episode 198 of Local Energy Rules

Loopholes and Scams in New York Gas Plans

Ben Kuebrich discusses New York’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, what to expect when gas utilities do their own decarbonization planning, and how states and clean energy advocates can actually address methane gas use in the buildings sector.… Read More

Utility Millions Take Down Popular Measure — Episode 197 of Local Energy Rules

Utility Millions Take Down Popular Measure

Lucy Hochschartner explains how public power would have been an improvement over Maine’s investor-owned utilities, yet didn’t receive the support of Maine voters on November 7th.… Read More

New Paths for Rural Electric Co-op Revival

Frances Sawyer and Maria McCoy discuss ILSR’s new report on rural electric co-ops and how federal dollars can meet the growing momentum of co-op member-owners organizing around affordability, clean energy, and local control.… Read More

New Paths for Rural Electric Co-op Revival — Episode 196 of Local Energy Rules

Stopping the Spread of Monopolies — Episode 195 of Local Energy Rules

Stopping the Spread of Monopolies

Lynne Kiesling explains why allowing incumbent monopolies into new markets is too big of a risk for innovation and the public interest, particularly in the context of Xcel Energy’s major electric vehicle charging proposal.… Read More

Colorado Bill Increases Utility Accountability — Episode 194 of Local Energy Rules

Colorado Bill Increases Utility Accountability

Steve Fenberg discusses Colorado’s Senate Bill 291, which changed incentives in the investor-owned utility business model to protect Colorado consumers from high fossil fuel costs and protects captive customers from paying for the utility to lobby against their own interests.… Read More

Against All Reason, Indiana Dismantles Rooftop Solar — Episode 193 of Local Energy Rules

Against All Reason, Indiana Dismantles Rooftop Solar

Ben Inskeep discusses Indiana’s backward solar policy, why local solar is a threat to utilities, and how to go up against the powerful entrenched interests of monopolies.… Read More

Don’t Follow California’s Lead on Rooftop Solar

Sachu Constantine explains the obstacles and opportunities arising for the electric grid as customers become generators and what California got wrong in its 2022 net metering decision.… Read More

Don’t Follow California’s Lead on Rooftop Solar — Episode 192 of Local Energy Rules

The Anti-Competitive Tricks up Utility Sleeves

Seth Handy explains how utilities have, through loopholes in federal guidance and friends on public regulatory bodies, protected their own interests at the expense of clean energy projects.… Read More

The Anti-Competitive Tricks up Utility Sleeves — Episode 191 of Local Energy Rules

Portland Funds Community-Led Clean Energy Projects — Episode 190 of Local Energy Rules

Portland Funds Community-Led Clean Energy Projects

Maria Sipin discusses what the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund has accomplished, how volunteers from the community have shaped the fund’s priorities, and how to evaluate project success.… Read More

How Utilities Neglect Certain Customers

Alex Hill discusses a report on utility redlining in electric distribution, the impacts of inadequate grid infrastructure, and how the report helped make a case against the utility’s proposed rate increase.… Read More

How Utilities Neglect Certain Customers — Episode 189 of Local Energy Rules

13 States Flunk This Standard Test

Mari Hernandez explains why we need transparent and efficient interconnection standards, how the regulatory landscape can adapt to new technologies, and where IREC’s Freeing the Grid initiative can help.… Read More

13 States Flunk This Standard Test — Episode 188 of Local Energy Rules

Utilities Gamble With Household Money — Episode 187 of Local Energy Rules

Utilities Gamble With Household Money

Tony Bartelme discusses how utilities have wagered and lost billions of customer dollars, why customers are on the hook when utilities take financial risks, and how unhappy customers can counter utility power grabs.… Read More