Local Energy Rules

In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Lynn Benander from Co-op Power about community solar, the barriers to its growth, and how communities and cooperatives across the country are building a cleaner, cheaper future. | Show page available: https://ilsr.org/coop-power-lynn-benander-ler-108 | 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, share with your friends, leave a recommendation on our podcast feeds, and join the conversation online using the #LocalEnergyRules hashtag!

Previous energy deserts, like the rural Tennessee Valley, have seen federally-funded utilities turn into state-owned energy monopolies. This limits cities’ abilities to prioritize clean, renewable energy on their own terms. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Maggie Shober, Director of Utility Reform for the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. They discuss how the utility provider Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) grew from a federally mandated utility commission to a monopoly in the Southeast and how cities are working to cut ties from TVA’s increasingly unresponsive and restrictive contract system. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/sace-maggie-shober-ler-107/

Cities are committing to 100% clean, renewable energy regardless of their circumstances. St. Louis, despite hosting the headquarters of two coal giants, has released an ambitious clean electricity plan to help the city reach its goals. For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Reverend Rodrick Burton and Andy Knott, both on the St. Louis Clean Energy Advisory Board. Rev. Burton is the Pastor at New Northside Missionary Baptist Church and Knott is a Senior Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign. In the episode, Farrell, Burton, and Knott discuss how St. Louis created an inclusive clean energy plan and how the city can get to 100% renewable electricity, despite the dominance of big coal.  Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/st-louis-missouri-voices-of-100-podcast/

The global pandemic has put a pause to all kinds of commerce. As wildfire season nears and climate change worsens, are solar and storage companies still preparing communities for the disasters ahead? In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Anne Hoskins, Chief Policy Officer at Sunrun. They discuss the benefits of distributed energy storage, how the world’s leading solar-plus-storage company is faring in a pandemic, and how effective utility regulation can allow for transformative energy policy. At the time of recording, John Farrell had 10 shares of Sunrun stock worth approximately $130. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/sunrun-anne-hoskins-ler-episode-105/

With city and state budgets stretched to their limits, families struggling to stay afloat, and one all-absorbing crisis on everyone’s mind, can clean energy planning proceed in a pandemic? For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Charles Utley, Associate Director of Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League. With 50 years of grassroots organizing behind him, Utley spearheaded the campaign to commit Augusta, Ga., to 100% clean energy by 2050. Utley talks about his introduction to the zero waste movement, how he convinced the city commission to commit to 100%, and the effects of a global pandemic on city energy planning. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/augusta-georgia-voices-of-100-podcast/

Supporters of clean and affordable energy dream of neighborhoods powered by rooftop solar. In D.C., this vision is becoming reality; the district is en route to 100% renewable energy in just twelve years. In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Yesenia Rivera of Solar United Neighbors (SUN). Rivera was Director of D.C. SUN, but has now become Director of Energy Equity and Inclusion. Rivera leads Farrell, SUN board member and Minnesota co-op participant, on a deep dive into the mission of Solar United Neighbors. The two also take the time to highlight SUN’s successes in D.C.; the hard-earned results of SUN member and staff advocacy. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/sun-dc-solar-for-all-ler-episode-103/