Local Energy Rules

How does a growing, national nonprofit organization help homeowners complete the circle between clean energy ownership and policy advocacy? ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative director John Farrell talks with Anya Schoolman of Solar United Neighbors in this October 2018 recording about two major clean energy policies before the Washington, D.C., city council. Support for the policies comes from the advocacy efforts of many residents enabled by Solar United Neighbors to become solar owners by banding together, a model that has spread to over 10 states.

https://ilsr.org/articles/solar-co-ops-support-clean-energy-advances-in-d-c-episode-64-of-local-energy-rules-podcast/

More than 80 U.S. cities have now made commitments to reach 100 percent renewable energy with deadlines set in the 2030s or beyond. Of these, few have secured ambitious policies and funding sources that will help them reach these goals and center equity in the decision-making process, however. A unique campaign in Portland, Oregon, illustrates a new tool for cities considering a transition to 100 percent renewable energy.

In our fifth episode of Voices of 100%, a multi-part series of Local Energy Rules, Alan Hipólito, director of Verde, a local environmental and social justice nonprofit organization based in Portland, Ore., speaks with co-director of ILSR and Energy Democracy initiative director John Farrell about the Portland Clean Energy Initiative, a ballot measure coming in this November’s midterm elections.

On November 6th, voters in Portland will decide the fate of this “first-of-its-kind“ initiative. The proposed policy could raise $30 million annually through a surcharge levied on big business to help the city fight climate change and transition to 100 percent renewable energy.

Verde, a local, grassroots nonprofit organization “by and of low income communities” where Hipólito works, is located in the Cully neighborhood on the northeast side of Portland, Oregon. The communities Verde serves, along with a large and diverse coalition of partners, have led an impressive campaign to support local, renewable energy citywide — one that presents a unique opportunity for Portland to fund the city’s transition to clean energy and center racial and economic equity in the process.

https://ilsr.org/articles/portland-ore-voices-of-100-podcast/

Across the U.S., over 80 cities have made commitments to transition to 100 percent renewable energy. In our fifth episode of Voices of 100%, a multi-part series of Local Energy Rules, Alan Hipólito, director of Verde and advocate with the Portland Clea...

Over 80 U.S. cities have now made commitments to reach 100 percent renewable energy with deadlines set in the 2030s or beyond. Though not all have considered which implementation strategies, including both policies and programs, will help them reach these goals.

With a population of close to 500,000 people, Atlanta is the economic center of one of the country’s largest metropolitan areas and the largest city in the state of Georgia. It is also a regional leader in the pursuit of clean energy, making its pledge in 2017 to transition to 100 percent renewable energy in both its municipal operations and citywide by 2035.

Since Atlanta made its formal commitment to renewable energy, the city’s Office of Resilience has worked with local partners to assess the city’s current energy outlook, engaged countless community members and groups, and developed a Clean Energy Atlanta Plan, detailing possible implementation strategies to reach its goal.

Megan O’Neil is the Energy Programs Manager for the City of Atlanta, where she coordinates energy programming and policy on behalf of the city. During the fourth episode in our multi-part Voices of 100% podcast series, O’Neil spoke with ILSR’s Energy Democracy director, John Farrell about Atlanta’s 100 percent commitment and which strategies it plans to implement to achieve its goal.

https://ilsr.org/articles/atlanta-georgia-voices-of-100-podcast/

Across the U.S., over 80 cities have made commitments to transition to 100 percent renewable energy. As the largest such city in the Southeast, the city of Atlanta has been a regional leader in evaluating how to succeed.

Over 70 cities have made commitments to reach 100 percent renewable energy, but only a few have made substantial progress toward achieving these goals that often have deadlines set in the 2030’s or beyond. With a population of just over 1.4 million people, San Diego, the country’s eighth largest city and the second largest in California, is also one of the largest to make a pledge to transition to 100 percent renewable energy.

Drawing on a unique policy tool allowing cities to choose their electricity supply and the area’s enviably abundant solar resources, San Diego is well on its way to developing a clear pathway for how to reach its goal.

Cody Hooven is the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of San Diego, where she coordinates sustainability planning and policy, with emphasis on economic development. During the third episode in our multi-part Voices of 100% podcast series, Hooven recently spoke with ILSR’s Energy Democracy director, John Farrell about San Diego’s 100 percent pledge and the steps the city has taken toward fulfilling it.

https://ilsr.org/articles/san-diego-california-voices-of-100-podcast/

As a growing number of U.S. cities make commitments to reach 100 percent renewable electricity, how are cities making plans to achieve these goals? In our second episode of Voices of 100%, a multi-part series of Local Energy Rules, John Farrell interviews city council member Larry Atencio from Pueblo, Colo., about the ambitious goal the city has made to shift to 100 percent renewable power.

As a growing number of U.S. cities make commitments to reach 100 percent renewable electricity, how are cities making plans to achieve these goals? In our second episode of Voices of 100%, a multi-part series of Local Energy Rules,

What if your savings account could enable clean energy investments from insulation to solar to electric vehicles? Starting this summer it can.

Blake Jones is the Volunteer Board Chair of the newly launched Clean Energy Credit Union. The brainchild of Amicus Solar, an installer cooperative, the online-only Clean Energy Credit Union is dedicated to financing the clean energy future. It provides loans for home insulation, solar, electric vehicles, and electric bikes and more. Its nonprofit mission is to illustrate that money-saving clean energy investments should get low-cost financing.

John Farrell, director of the Energy Democracy Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, spoke with Blake in July 2018 about the launch of the Clean Energy Credit Union.

https://ilsr.org/a-new-credit-union-aims-to-lower-the-cost-of-clean-energy-episode-59-of-local-energy-rules-podcast/

What if your savings account could be put to use enabling clean energy investments from insulation to solar to electric vehicles? Starting this summer it can. John Farrell spoke with volunteer board chair Blake Jones of the newly launched Clean Energy ...