Local Energy Rules

Many cities have already proven the possibility of 100% clean, renewable electricity. For those that are still working towards this goal, patience and persistence are one way to get there. For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Traverse City Light and Power board members Amy Shamroe and Tim Werner. Both are also city commissioners, with Shamroe serving as Mayor Pro Tem. Informed by their experience at the intersection between city government and a city-owned utility, the two describe how Traverse City set a goal of 100% renewable energy and how the utility plans to implement it. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/traverse-city-michigan-voices-of-100-podcast/

When communities have choice, they choose their best interest: clean, affordable, and resilient energy systems. In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Jessie Denver, manager of the Distributed Energy Resources Program at East Bay Community Energy. Denver develops customer-side resiliency programming, including rooftop solar with batteries, for East Bay. Farrell and Denver discuss how distributed energy resources can prepare communities for disaster — and increase resilience after it hits. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/east-bay-community-energy-2-ler-episode-101/

This week marks a milestone for the Local Energy Rules podcast: 100 episodes. Although the times are grim and uncertain, we hope you take refuge in these visions of a cleaner, more equitable future. For our 100th episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, we compiled a highlight reel from the Voices of 100% series. This episode celebrates five cities that are working toward our vision: community-driven, equitable, 100% renewable energy economies. As the movement grows, there will only be more voices to share. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/episode-100-voices-of-100-podcast/

Can devastating wildfires and a bankrupt utility disrupt the transition to renewable energy? Not in Northern California, where one county is using community choice to help those affected by public safety power shut offs — and pursue its ambitious energy goals. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Matthew Marshall, Executive Director of Redwood Coast Energy Authority. Redwood Coast is a Community Choice Aggregation entity in Northern California. The two discuss how community choice best serves Humboldt County, setting and achieving ambitious energy goals, and finding local resilience with microgrids. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/redwood-coast-energy-authority-ler-episode-99/

Despite facing many hurdles, one county in California is pioneering the way to a truly community-determined energy supply. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Jessica Tovar, Coordinator of the East Bay Clean Power Alliance. Tovar and this alliance led the charge to establish a community choice agency in Alameda County. Tovar and Farrell talked in December 2018 about East Bay Community Energy and why local, community-focused energy generation should be the premier goal of renewable energy advocates. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/east-bay-community-energy-ler-episode-98/

Oftentimes, transitioning to renewable energy is one of many competing concerns in a local government body. In one town on Long Island, leaders are finding that their most pressing concerns can be addressed collectively. For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with John Bouvier, a town council member of Southampton, New York. Southampton has committed to source 100% of the town’s electricity from renewable sources by 2025, with an ultimate goal of carbon neutrality by 2040. The two discuss setting ambitious goals, the unique challenges coastal communities face, and how Southampton’s work is driven by both technical experts and community stakeholders. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/southampton-new-york-voices-of-100-podcast/

After a novel cooperative law passed in Oregon, residents can invest in solar on their house of worship, their children’s school, or the neighborhood public library. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Dan Orzech, General Manager of the Oregon Clean Power Cooperative. This co-op, through its novel structure and rules, allows Oregon residents to earn a return by investing in local renewable energy projects. Farrell and Orzech discuss how a renewable energy cooperative operates, the importance of local energy for Oregon, and how this model can spread beyond the state’s boundaries. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/oregon-clean-power-coop-ler-episode-96/

New York is one of nine states where communities can choose their own energy supplier through community choice aggregation (CCA). In Westchester County, the non-profit Sustainable Westchester has adopted community choice, along with several other programs, to democratize the local energy system. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Sustainable Westchester’s Nina Orville and Dan Welsh. Orville directs the Heat Smart and community solar programs at Sustainable Westchester, while Welsh directs the Westchester Power program. The three discuss how Westchester Power and the other programs operate, what Sustainable Westchester offers residents, and how local achievement translates to the organization’s own success. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/westchester-new-york-community-choice-ler-episode-95/

The community solar model extends the option of clean energy ownership to those without the means or ability to put solar on their own roof. Now, an Oakland, Calif., cooperative plans to use the co-op ownership model to increase access to solar even further, by putting community solar on the roof of one of its members. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Subin DeVar, director of the community renewable energy program at the Sustainable Economies Law Center (SELC) in Oakland, Calif. SELC provides support to the People Power Solar Cooperative, where DeVar also serves as a board member. This solar cooperative completed its first project in March 2019, leveraging the democratic co-op structure to install community solar on members’ own rooftops. Farrell and DeVar discuss how the cooperative was able to navigate over legal barriers, the importance of community ownership, and the potential for this cooperative community solar model to spread nationwide. Listen to the

To reach its climate and energy goals, one Rhode Island city has opted for a climate justice plan in lieu of the typical climate action plan. For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Providence Director of Sustainability Leah Bamberger. Although Providence is not committed to 100 percent clean, renewable energy, it has made a commitment just as ambitious: centering equity on its journey to carbon neutrality and 30% local energy generation. The two discuss the city’s climate justice plan, the necessity of centering frontline communities in decision making, and how energy democracy (see ILSR’s definition) is key to both setting and reaching climate goals. Listen to the full episode to learn about Providence’s new approach to climate goal setting, and explore more highlights and resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/providence-rhodeisland-voices-of-100-podcast/

A cooperative utility in Hawaii has reduced its electricity prices, multiplied its renewable energy capacity, and increased its grid resiliency — all without relying on neighboring utilities, because there are none. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with David Bissell, CEO of Kauai Island Utility Cooperative. CEO of the co-op since 2011, Bissell has seen renewable electricity generation grow from 10 to more than 50 percent of the co-op’s electricity use. With more projects in the works, Bissell believes the cooperative utility will soon use 80 percent renewable electricity. The two talk about this achievement, the challenges of operating a utility on an island, and how Kauai stands as a model for others. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/kauai-two-thirds-renewable-2020-ler-episode-92/

What do a failed biomass plant in Minnesota and a ban on gas hookups for new properties  in California have in common? Thanksgiving dinner! On this bonus Thanksgiving Day episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with David Morris, ILSR Co-founder and Distinguished Fellow, and Maria McCoy, ILSR Energy Democracy Research Associate. The two interviews cover stories about local energy generation and usage — with a Thanksgiving theme — for ILSR’s Building Local Power podcast, republished here for Local Energy Rules. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/turkey-talk-thanksgiving-ler91/

More than 100 cities have committed to 100% renewable electricity transitions, with most hoping to get there by 2030 or 2050. Burlington, Vt., already achieved this goal — five years ago. For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with two leaders in Burlington’s completed electricity transition: Mayor Miro Weinberger and Darren Springer, general manager of Burlington Electric. The three talk about why Burlington was able to reach its goal so quickly, how other cities can reach theirs too, and Burlington’s new plan to become a Net Zero Energy city. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/burlington-vermont-voices-of-100-podcast/

While most Americans get their electricity from a private company, about 1 in 8 Americans actually own their utility as a member-owner of a rural electric cooperative. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Liz Veazey, Network Director of We Own It, and Chris Woolery, Residential Energy Coordinator at the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development. Veazey and Woolery, along with a team organized by the New Economy Coalition, have just released the Rural Electric Cooperative Toolkit. This toolkit opens with this statement: “You have a voice in your electric cooperative. Here’s how to use it.” In the interview, Veazey and Woolery talk about the wealth of knowledge found in the toolkit and why members need these organizing strategies to make cooperative electric companies more responsive to their communities’ interests. Listen to the full episode and explore more resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/a

Colorado, a long-time hub of hiking and skiing, has become the unexpected hub of clean energy commitments. In a swing state often divided over political issues, what makes renewable energy so popular? For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Lissa Ray and Monique DiGiorgio about Durango, Colo.’s recent commitment to 100% renewable electricity by 2050. Ray, a climate activist, organized the residents of Durango as the point person for the Sierra Club. DiGiorgio, Managing Director of Local First in La Plata County, rallied local businesses for the cause. Farrell asks the two for lessons learned through their work on Durango’s Ready for 100 campaign, the benefits of making the commitment in rural Colorado, and advice for other organizers looking to do the same. Listen to the full episode to learn what cities served by rural electric cooperatives can do to strengthen democracy in their community, and explore more highlights and resources, bel

The city of Minneapolis, and utilities Xcel Energy and CenterPoint Energy, established the first-of-its-kind clean energy partnership on October 17th, 2014. Five years have passed, so it’s time to evaluate: does this anniversary deserve a celebration? In this bonus episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Minneapolis City Council member Cam Gordon. Farrell and Gordon, with help from Alice Madden of Community Power, talk about what the clean energy partnership has —and has not— accomplished since 2014. Listen to the full interview, read the transcript, and explore other resources below — including ILSR’s coverage of the partnership over the years. https://ilsr.org/articles/minneapolis-cep-fifth-anniversary-ler-bonus/

In a revolutionary city ordinance, Berkeley, Calif. set a higher standard for health and safety in thousands of homes. By banning natural gas hook-ups to new buildings effective January 1, Berkeley will lower the cost of new buildings, improve the lives of residents, and clean up the climate for all. In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Kate Harrison, City Council member for Berkeley, Calif., and Sean Armstrong, Zero Net Energy Designer and Managing Principal at Redwood Energy. The three discuss how Berkeley was able to pass this ordinance, and the benefits it will bring, for a recent episode of ILSR’s Building Local Power podcast— republished here for Local Energy Rules. Listen to the full interview, read the transcript, and explore other resources below. https://ilsr.org/articles/berkeley-gas-ban-ler-episode-87/

Residents of South Carolina are already facing the effects of climate change, but at least one of their leaders is determined to take action to mitigate future catastrophic disasters. For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Mayor Stephen Benjamin of Columbia, SC. A third term mayor and co-chair of the Sierra Club’s Mayors for 100% Clean Energy, Benjamin led Columbia to a 100% renewable energy commitment. The two discuss the importance of local initiative, taking action on climate in the South, and how to ensure that a clean energy transition benefits everyone. Listen to the full episode to hear about local action in Columbia, and explore more highlights and resources, below — including a transcript and written summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/columbia-south-carolina-voices-of-100-podcast/

In Southern Florida, utilities relax after escaping the brunt of Hurricane Dorian’s destruction. Other areas, like Abaco and Grand Bahama Islands, weren’t so lucky. The growing threat of large storms poses a question for coastal communities: what kind of energy system will be most resilient? Although it wasn’t tested by this most recent storm, our podcast guest has been pushing for distributed energy systems to build resiliency for his Florida community. For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, we reach into the archive to a conversation between host John Farrell and South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard. In the episode, published April of 2018, the two discuss combatting monopoly utility power through local efforts to implement solar in South Miami. Since the episode, many of Mayor Stoddard’s endeavors have produced results. In March, Stoddard showed that energy independence was possible by taking his home off the grid and running on his own solar and battery storage for seven days. Then, in May, the

Can new leadership send a southern city on its way to 100% renewable energy? For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Breea Clark, mayor of Norman, Oklahoma. Clark has only just become the mayor of Norman, but she is all in on 100% renewable energy. The two discuss why acting at the local level is so important, along with the tools that Norman has to advance its ambitious goal. Listen to the full episode to learn how Norman is taking action to support local, clean energy, and explore more highlights and resources, below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation. https://ilsr.org/articles/norman-ok-voices-of-100-podcast/