Local Energy Rules

Ithaca, N.Y. is making headlines for its plan to decarbonize all local buildings. What’s unique about Ithaca is not its ambitious goal, which many cities share, but the fact that it is truly advancing toward it.

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Ithaca Sustainability Director Luis Aguirre-Torres, who in the eight months of his tenure, has set in motion a plan to decarbonize Ithaca’s buildings by 2030. Farrell and Aguirre-Torres discuss Ithaca’s Green New Deal, financing the city’s decarbonization effort, and getting the work done as time runs out.

Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.

https://ilsr.org/articles/ithaca-new-york-building-decarbonization-ler144/

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Luis Aguirre-Torres discuss Ithaca’s Green New Deal, financing the city’s decarbonization effort, and getting the work done as time runs out. |

Tell us what you think! https://ilsr.org/podcastsurvey/

Show page available: https://ilsr.org/ithaca-new-york-building-decarbonization-ler144 |

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!

Rural areas are sometimes isolated, disconnected from modern conveniences and the latest technologies. The digital divide is real, but one cooperative in New Mexico is proving to be an exception as it connects customers to affordable solar energy and reliable Internet service.

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Luis Reyes, General Manager of the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative. Reyes, who has been with Kit Carson for 37 years, has experienced the cooperative’s evolution firsthand. Farrell and Reyes discuss how Kit Carson’s exit from Tri-State Generation and Transmission allowed the co-op to target 100 percent daytime solar power — without sacrificing affordability or reliability.

Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.

https://ilsr.org/articles/kit-carson-cooperative-more-solar-ler143/

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Luis Reyes discuss how Kit Carson’s exit from Tri-State Generation and Transmission allowed the co-op to target 100 percent daytime solar power — without sacrificing affordability or reliability. |

Tell us what you think!

Show page available: https://ilsr.org/kit-carson-cooperative-more-solar-ler143 |

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!

Though it’s insulated from sea level rise, the state of Iowa faces many dangerous climate change impacts — which in turn threaten the nation’s food supply. Fortunately, the state is rich in renewable energy potential and eager advocates who hope to harness it.

For this episode of our Voices of 100% series of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell talks with Kari Carney and Josh Mandelbaum. Carney is the executive director of 1000 Friends of Iowa and Mandelbaum is a member of the Des Moines city council. The three discuss Des Moines’s round-the-clock clean electricity resolution, how it differs from traditional clean energy commitments, and the strategies Des Moines will use to reach its goal.

Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.

https://ilsr.org/articles/des-moines-iowa-voices-of-100-podcast/

For this Voices of 100% episode of Local Energy Rules, host John Farrell and guests Kari Carney and Josh Mandelbaum discuss Des Moines’s round-the-clock clean electricity resolution and how it differs from traditional clean energy commitments. |

Show page available: https://ilsr.org/des-moines-iowa-voices-of-100-podcast/ |

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!

Maintaining healthy, comfortable buildings can be expensive in Minnesota — especially during polar vortex events. Warren, a small city in Northern Minnesota, is offering an innovative public service: images that reveal building heat loss, captured by drones.

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with City Administrator Shannon Mortenson of Warren, Minnesota. Mortenson and the city partnered with a community college to pilot a novel project; the college, using drones and thermal cameras, captured images that display energy leaks in homes and businesses. Farrell and Mortenson discuss the first-of-its-kind thermal imaging project, lessons learned from the pilot, and how cities can help residents conserve energy.

Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.

https://ilsr.org/articles/thermal-imaging-efficiency-warren-minnesota-ler141/

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Shannon Mortenson discuss Warren’s first-of-its-kind thermal imaging project, lessons learned from the pilot, and how cities can help residents conserve energy. |

Show page available: https://ilsr.org/thermal-imaging-efficiency-warren-minnesota-ler141 |

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!

Electric customers in Maine, who are fed up with lousy utility service, can use a ballot initiative to take back their power.

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, a rebroadcast from the Building Local Power Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Maine State Representative Seth Berry. Berry was the Maine House sponsor of LD 1708, a bill to establish a consumer-owned utility, and serves as Chair of the Maine Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Technology. Farrell and Berry discuss Our Power Maine: the ongoing initiative to kick investor-owned utilities to the curb and establish a consumer-owned utility in Maine.

Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.

https://ilsr.org/articles/our-power-maine-consumer-ownership-ler140/

For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, a rebroadcast from the Building Local Power Podcast, host John Farrell and guest Seth Berry discuss Our Power Maine: an initiative to kick investor-owned utilities to the curb and establish a consumer-owned utility in Maine. |

Show page available: https://ilsr.org/our-power-maine-consumer-ownership-ler140 |

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!