Shows
Building Local PowerInternet as a Human Right: Christopher Mitchell on Community NetworksYou'd think a company with as many resources, employees, and facilities as AT&T or Comcast would have good customer service. Surely, with all the billions of dollars flowing through these businesses, there'd be some resources devoted to creating a really good customer experience, right? If only that were the case. The thing is, these telecom monopolies are so big, with their power so entrenched, that it doesn't matter if their customer service is good. When you control the market, you control the market whether customers are happy or not. Time and again, smaller, locally-controlled telecom companies and networks have...
2025-08-2126 min
Building Local PowerInternet as a Human Right: Christopher Mitchell on Community NetworksYou'd think a company with as many resources, employees, and facilities as AT&T or Comcast would have good customer service. Surely, with all the billions of dollars flowing through these businesses, there'd be some resources devoted to creating a really good customer experience, right? If only that were the case. The thing is, these telecom monopolies are so big, with their power so entrenched, that it doesn't matter if their customer service is good. When you control the market, you control the market whether customers are happy or not. Time and again, smaller, locally-controlled telecom companies and networks have...
2025-08-2126 minBuilding Local PowerWhy Solving Waste Has To Be Local: Brenda Platt on Sustainability and CommunityWe hear it again and again on this show: neighborhoods that are presumed less likely to fight back are taken advantage of by huge corporations and monopolies. Through predatory decisions and massive market power, a chain grocery store erodes a historically black neighborhood into a food desert. Amazon locates a massive warehouse, and its associated noise, congestion, and pollution, into an already vulnerable area of town. The Target in the BIPOC neighborhood is demonstrably worse than the Target in the rich, white part of town. Now we’re seeing the same pattern play out with the question of where to pu...
2025-08-0729 minBuilding Local PowerWhy Solving Waste Has To Be Local: Brenda Platt on Sustainability and CommunityWe hear it again and again on this show: neighborhoods that are presumed less likely to fight back are taken advantage of by huge corporations and monopolies. Through predatory decisions and massive market power, a chain grocery store erodes a historically black neighborhood into a food desert. Amazon locates a massive warehouse, and its associated noise, congestion, and pollution, into an already vulnerable area of town. The Target in the BIPOC neighborhood is demonstrably worse than the Target in the rich, white part of town. Now we’re seeing the same pattern play out with the question of where to pu...
2025-08-0729 minBuilding Local PowerWhy Clean Energy Is Not Enough: John Farrell on Lessons from David MorrisWhen ILSR co-founder David Morris published his pamphlet The Dawning of Solar Cells in 1975, nearly the only people using solar power were those in the Apollo program at NASA. Yet David saw decades into the future as he laid out a vision for community control and local ownership of a solar power system that was better for the climate and kept much more money in local economies than utility monopolies ever would. In many ways, says ILSR co-director and leader of the Energy Democracy Initiative, John Farrell, the world is still catching up with things David Morris wrote 50 years ago.
J...
2025-07-2426 minBuilding Local PowerWhy Clean Energy Is Not Enough: John Farrell on Lessons from David MorrisWhen ILSR co-founder David Morris published his pamphlet The Dawning of Solar Cells in 1975, nearly the only people using solar power were those in the Apollo program at NASA. Yet David saw decades into the future as he laid out a vision for community control and local ownership of a solar power system that was better for the climate and kept much more money in local economies than utility monopolies ever would. In many ways, says ILSR co-director and leader of the Energy Democracy Initiative, John Farrell, the world is still catching up with things David Morris wrote 50 years ago.
J...
2025-07-2426 minBuilding Local PowerThe Problems You Can Solve: Stacy Mitchell on David Morris’s LegacyOn this week's episode of Building Local Power, we continue our series honoring ILSR's co-founder David Morris, who passed away in June. One way to measure the impact of someone's work is to measure their influence on those they mentored. And if you ask Stacy Mitchell, the word "influence" isn't even sufficient for what she learned from David Morris. Hired into an entry-level position at ILSR by David Morris in 1997, Mitchell now leads the Independent Business Initiative and co-directs the entire organization. Her time working with Morris led to a long and distinguished career at ILSR and in the broader...
2025-07-1526 minBuilding Local PowerThe Problems You Can Solve: Stacy Mitchell on David Morris’s LegacyOn this week's episode of Building Local Power, we continue our series honoring ILSR's co-founder David Morris, who passed away in June. One way to measure the impact of someone's work is to measure their influence on those they mentored. And if you ask Stacy Mitchell, the word "influence" isn't even sufficient for what she learned from David Morris. Hired into an entry-level position at ILSR by David Morris in 1997, Mitchell now leads the Independent Business Initiative and co-directs the entire organization. Her time working with Morris led to a long and distinguished career at ILSR and in the broader...
2025-07-1526 minBuilding Local PowerWhat Cities Can Do: Remembering David MorrisHere at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, we recently received some shocking news as we learned of the sudden passing of our beloved co-founder, David Morris. A giant in the antimonopoly field, an innovative thinker ahead of his time, and a crucial mentor to so many of us here at ILSR, David will be missed. I imagine I wasn’t alone in diving into ILSR’s archives to understand and revisit David’s work and legacy in the wake of his death. Reading David’s work from the last 50 years reminded me just how much he deeply understood about building local po...
2025-07-0333 minBuilding Local PowerWhat Cities Can Do: Remembering David MorrisHere at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, we recently received some shocking news as we learned of the sudden passing of our beloved co-founder, David Morris. A giant in the antimonopoly field, an innovative thinker ahead of his time, and a crucial mentor to so many of us here at ILSR, David will be missed. I imagine I wasn’t alone in diving into ILSR’s archives to understand and revisit David’s work and legacy in the wake of his death. Reading David’s work from the last 50 years reminded me just how much he deeply understood about building local po...
2025-07-0333 minBuilding Local PowerIncreasing Internet Access at the Speed of Trust: Sean Gonsalves on the Digital Equity ActThe 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represented one of the largest ever investments in broadband infrastructure. Many in the digital equity space believed the bill would go a long way to solve the digital divide. Provisions like the Digital Equity Act promised to be powerful tools in ensuring fast and reliable Internet access for all, regardless of money, race, and the rural/urban split. Groups ILSR's Community Broadband Networks team supports got to work applying for and receiving government funds to make major progress bringing equity to the digital space. Then, on a Thursday night in May 2025, President Trump announced...
2025-06-1200 minBuilding Local PowerIncreasing Internet Access at the Speed of Trust: Sean Gonsalves on the Digital Equity ActThe 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act represented one of the largest ever investments in broadband infrastructure. Many in the digital equity space believed the bill would go a long way to solve the digital divide. Provisions like the Digital Equity Act promised to be powerful tools in ensuring fast and reliable Internet access for all, regardless of money, race, and the rural/urban split. Groups ILSR's Community Broadband Networks team supports got to work applying for and receiving government funds to make major progress bringing equity to the digital space. Then, on a Thursday night in May 2025, President Trump announced...
2025-06-1200 minBuilding Local PowerWhere Things Are Happening: Ron Knox on the State(s) of AntitrustRon Knox was a successful reporter covering antitrust and antimonopoly issues until he couldn't take it any more. His growing passion for the fight against corporate power didn't match a reporter's need for neutrality and objectivity. Shedding the mantle of neutrality, Knox joined ILSR to fight for what he believed in: building local power and resisting corporate power. In the years since then, Knox has become a leading voice in the antimonopoly movement, creating resources about everything from Ticketmaster to Kroger to what states can do to fight corporate monopolies.
In fact, that very idea is the center of this...
2025-04-1727 minBuilding Local PowerWhere Things Are Happening: Ron Knox on the State(s) of AntitrustRon Knox was a successful reporter covering antitrust and antimonopoly issues until he couldn't take it any more. His growing passion for the fight against corporate power didn't match a reporter's need for neutrality and objectivity. Shedding the mantle of neutrality, Knox joined ILSR to fight for what he believed in: building local power and resisting corporate power. In the years since then, Knox has become a leading voice in the antimonopoly movement, creating resources about everything from Ticketmaster to Kroger to what states can do to fight corporate monopolies.
In fact, that very idea is the center of this...
2025-04-1727 min
Local Energy RulesVoting (Again) on Municipal Power in Decorah, Iowa — Episode 229 of Local Energy RulesDo residents of Decorah, Iowa, have the seven year public power itch? Actually, they’re probably just steamed about two double-digit increases in their electric bills since 2018, when they last considered creating a city-owned electric utility. While that initiative fell short by just three votes, today, the advocates promoting a “yes” vote on the March 4 public power initiative think that anger over Alliant Energy’s lies and bill increases can flip the outcome. |
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Emily Neal, an at-large member of the Decorah city council and a member o...
2025-02-1230 minBuilding Local PowerHow Structural Racism Fuels American MonopoliesThe inspiration for this season of Building Local Power is ILSR's Power Play report, written by ILSR senior editor and researcher Susan Holmberg. Sue joins us today for a wide-ranging and candid conversation about the report and its main finding: that monopolies leverage systemic racism to build and retain their power.
Our conversation ties together the previous conversations in our Power Play series, from organizing an Amazon warehouse to consumer redlining to the inequitable environmental harm of AI data centers. Sue discusses the monstrous costs of monopoly power to communities of color and the interconnected ways corporate power can ensnare th...
2025-01-2327 minBuilding Local PowerA Rebalancing Act: How We Restore Local Power in 2025ILSR co-executive directors Stacy Mitchell and John Farrell join Reggie Rucker to discuss the year in ILSR and the issues we care about. What did the media get wrong about the economy in the lead-up to the election? How can voter frustration turn into positive political change? Will we ever move past "change elections?" Will the antitrust revival last through the next four years? How can states and cities fight corporate consolidation and monopoly power? What victories did the antitrust movement see in 2024, and how can we replicate that success in the future? And how can ILSR help?
All of...
2024-12-2638 minBuilding Local PowerPizza, DMs, and Solidarity: Filming the Amazon Labor FightIn March, 2020, Amazon warehouse worker Chris Smalls led a walkout protesting a lack of Covid-19 safety measures at the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island. He was fired two hours later. In the following days, a leaked memo revealed that the Amazon c-suite (including Jeff Bezos) was planning to discredit Smalls by racially scapegoating him. When aspiring documentarian Mars Verrone heard the story, they sent an Instagram DM to Smalls asking about the prospect of turning his story into a movie. Now, three years later, that movie is here: the acclaimed new documentary Union, which chronicles Smalls' successful efforts to unionize...
2024-11-2725 minBuilding Local PowerAmazon, Labor, and RaceFor many years, Reverend Ryan Brown has been a picker at Amazon's RDU1 warehouse outside of Raleigh, NC. In 2020, he was asked to work in a part of the warehouse he knew was a dangerous COVID hot spot. He refused, calling his decision to do so a "Rosa Parks moment." In the immediate aftermath, Reverend Ryan and some comrades founded Amazon CAUSE (Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment) and began campaigning to unionize RDU1.
In this episode, Reverend Ryan and fellow CAUSE organizer Adam Stromme join host Danny Caine for a lively discussion of their unionizing efforts. Running through...
2024-11-1436 minBuilding Local PowerBookstores and Local Power with BLP’s New Host, Danny CaineThe first bookstore Danny Caine fell in love with was a suburban Cleveland outpost of a mega-chain. Since then, he has not only fallen in love with independent bookstores and other local businesses but has also become a widely known advocate against Amazon and other corporate monopolies. Now, he's the new host of Building Local Power.
This week's episode features Danny talking with co-host Reggie Rucker about his history, advocacy, and path to ILSR. Danny also shares his future plans for the podcast in hopes of inviting more folks into the Building Local Power conversation.
For the full transcript and...
2024-10-3122 min
Broadband ActionMapping the Community Broadband LandscapeThe latest edition of Broadband Action, the CBAN podcast, is now available for viewing or listening! CBAN's Jon Willow chats with Ry Marcattilio from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) about a new map of community networks across the U.S. The map, updated with a new engine and user interface, tracks publicly owned broadband networks, including municipal, cooperative, and tribal models. It features various filters for business models, network characteristics, and population sizes, with 400 municipal networks serving over 700 communities. The map aims to help communities find similar networks and solutions for their broadband needs. Future enhancements include exporting...
2024-10-2523 minLocal Energy RulesPublic Power on the Ballot in FloridaThe Florida Legislature removed local control of Gainesville’s century-old municipal utility, but Commissioner Bryan Eastman explains how the city plans to take it back. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/articles/public-power-ballot-florida-ler221/|
Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/energy/local-energy-rules-podcast/ |
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!
2024-10-2335 minLocal Energy RulesSolar Help Desk Offers Agenda-Free Consumer AssistanceJani Hale and Liz Veazy from Solar United Neighbors explain how the Solar Help Desk aids consumers and how the group organizes people to fight for solar rights. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/article/solar-help-desk-agenda-free-ler220/ |
Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/energy/local-energy-rules-podcast/ |
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!
2024-10-0931 min
Crone by Design - A Dash of EverythingCompostingThis week we are diving into Composting. You probably have heard the word thrown around, you might be lucky to live in a city or town that picks up household compost which is amazing, or you might have been interested in learning how to compost but it seemed too out of reach. This episode is meant to break down this big word and help you discover ways in which you can have a positive impact.
To follow me on all of the things, please follow the link! https://bio.site/cronebydesign
2024-09-3024 minLocal Energy RulesCrashing the Utility Transmission Planning PartyShelley Welton discusses why utilities cannot be trusted to coordinate their electricity transmission plans and how an independent planning authority could step in where federal regulators have floundered. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/articles/crashing-utility-transmission-planning-party-ler219/ |
Listen to all of our Local Energy Rules podcast episodes at our site: https://ilsr.org/energy/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!
2024-09-2500 minBuilding Local PowerA Heyday in the Toledo LifeJohnetta Turner McCollough and her husband, Nelson, ran The Spot, a popular restaurant on Dorr Street, Toledo, that was more than just a business—it was, well, the Spot. Known for its lively late-night gatherings and frog legs The Spot offered a unique space where people came to eat, unwind, and enjoy jazz music after the bars closed.
Johnetta was only 24 when her husband Nelson was tragically killed, and soon after, their restaurant, home, and the spirit of Dorr Street were destroyed by urban renewal. Promised development turned into empty lots and minimal investment, leaving a fractured community in its wa...
2024-09-1915 minLocal Energy RulesHow Cities Can Simplify Rooftop SolarToyah Callahan and Zach Greene discuss how the SolSmart technical assistance platform supports local governments as they streamline their solar permitting, inspection, and zoning processes, making it easier for residents to go solar. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/cities-simplify-rooftop-solar-ler218/ |
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!
2024-09-1149 minBuilding Local PowerRediscovering Toledo’s Black Wall StreetLifelong Toledo resident Doris Greer takes us back to a time when Dorr Street was the heart of Black wealth, culture, and community. Doris vividly recalls the bustling Black-owned businesses, close-knit neighbors, and a deep sense of pride and ownership.
But today, that vibrant community has been replaced by empty lots and chain dollar stores, a result of decades of disinvestment, discrimination, and corporate consolidation. Beginning with Doris’ firsthand account of Dorr Street’s destruction, our Toledo series explores the impact of federal policy that ushered in the forces of destruction, and the ongoing efforts to reclaim and rebuild the heart...
2024-09-0519 minLocal Energy RulesLeah Stokes and Tim Hade on Climate Resilience in CaliforniaTim Hade and Leah Stokes discuss how, through the coordination of a virtual power plant, distributed energy generation and storage will provide resilient and affordable electric power to a vulnerable area of Santa Barbara County. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/stokes-hade-climate-resilience-california-ler217/ |
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!
2024-08-2845 min
Ken Cook Is Having Another EpisodePower clashes between utilities and clean energy innovationAstounding advancements have been made in clean energy technology, and rooftop and community solar initiatives have been shown to drive consumer costs down and help us reach carbon emission reduction goals. So why are solar projects hitting a regulatory brick wall? (hint: it’s about corporate greed and value for monopoly utility shareholders). In today’s episode, we’re joined by the co-director of the Institute for Local Self Reliance, John Farrell, to unravel the ins and outs of why rooftop and community solar and other clean energy advancements are being stoned-walled, and what we can do about it.
2024-08-2751 minLocal Energy RulesHow Monopoly Utilities Abuse Their PowerJohn Farrell summarizes ILSR’s recent report, Upcharge: Hidden Costs of Electric Utility Monopoly Power, and makes the case for restoring competition to the electricity system. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/how-monopoly-utilities-abuse-power-ler216/ |
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!
2024-08-1418 minLocal Energy RulesThe Cost of Utility-Controlled Vehicle ChargingDoug Kantor discusses why the electric vehicle charging market must be competitive, rather than controlled by utilities, and why convenience stores are particularly suited to provide vehicle fueling wherever customers are. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/the-cost-utility-controlled-vehicle-charging-ler215/ |
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!
2024-08-0141 minBuilding Local PowerA National Strategy for Community CompostingLast month, the Biden White House released its National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics. ILSR’s Julia Spector joins Building Local Power to discuss how the leading advocacy of ILSR and allied organizations led to community composting becoming a featured component of the national strategy, and how far we’ve come since we aired the 2019 episode of Building Local Power entitled “Why Scale Matters in Protecting the Climate and How Composting Can Help.”
Julia explains how the strategy’s goals — reducing methane emissions and increasing organics recycling with an emphasis on the importance of local and decentral...
2024-07-2500 minLocal Energy RulesFinancing Platform Opens the Door to Solar OwnershipBracken Hendricks discusses how Working Power, a community development and financing platform, helps community-based organizations retain ownership of clean energy projects and the financial benefits of clean energy investment. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/financing-platform-solar-ownership-ler214/ |
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!
2024-07-171h 03Local Energy RulesPaying Solar Incentives Direct to NonprofitsJeremy Kalin discusses the evolution of federal tax incentives for renewable energy and how the direct pay provision of the Inflation Reduction Act will deliver more financial benefits to cities, counties, and nonprofits. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/solar-incentives-direct-pay-ler213/ |
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!
2024-07-0350 min
Composting for CommunityBuilding Waste Equity at NYC Public Housing (ft. Domingo Morales)How can we ensure composting is made accessible for all communities? How can composters implement the highest standards possible to prevent rodents in those communities? And what questions do the recent cuts to the NYC Compost Project raise that all composting advocates should be considering?
In this episode of the Composting for Community Podcast, we are joined by Domingo Morales, founder of Compost Power, a New York City composting organization that builds sustainable community compost sites across NYC with an emphasis on underserved and marginalized communities. Out of nine total sites, eight are at public housing, providing all...
2024-06-2500 minLocal Energy RulesSeven Hundred Yards Pt. 3: Seven Generations to ComeOut of the legislative fight over the nuclear plant next door, Prairie Island Indian Community is building its own net zero energy future, on part three of our special series, Seven Hundreds Yards. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/articles/700-yards-pt3-seven-generations-ler212/ |
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!
2024-06-2024 minLocal Energy RulesSeven Hundred Yards Pt. 2: Pretend DemocracyIn part two of our special series, Seven Hundred Yards, we find out why the nuclear waste “temporarily” stored on Prairie Island is still there 30 years later. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/articles/700-yards-pt2-pretend-democracy-ler211|
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!
2024-06-0528 minLocal Energy RulesSeven Hundred Yards Pt. 1: A Small Island in the MississippiPrairie Island community members and experts explain how powerful players allowed a nuclear plant to be built less than 700 yards away from the Native Nation, in part one of our special series, Seven Hundred Yards. |
Show page available: https://ilsr.org/articles/700-yards-pt1-small-island-ler210/ |
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!
2024-05-2328 min
Building Local PowerThe Seed of Local PowerIn 1974, in Washington D.C., amidst a backdrop of economic turbulence and social unrest, the seeds of the Institute for Local Self-reliance were sown. David Morris, Neil Seldman, and Gil Friend, driven by a shared vision of community resilience, founded the Institute in a townhouse in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. Their goal was to demonstrate that our economies and environments can thrive when rooted in community cooperation and mutual aid. Fifty years later, in the face of prevailing national norms promoting centralization, ILSR continues to challenge the status quo through research, advocacy, and grassroots organizing, promoting a framework of decentralized...
2024-05-0226 min
Connect This!A Surge in Municipal Networks and the Real Margins for ISPs | Episode 88 of the Connect This! ShowJoin us Friday, February 2nd at 2pm ET for the latest episode of the Connect This! Show. Co-hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) will be joined by regular guests Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) and Kim McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber) to talk a new report from ILSR on the surge of community owned networks we saw spring up over the last two years, whether the FCC has forever abrogated its power to fine bad actors, and the tension between margins for ISPs and public policy efforts to incent affordable services for those households in need.
Email...
2024-02-201h 15Local Energy RulesPetitioners Ask Feds to Investigate Utility Abuses of Monopoly Power — Episode 201 of Local Energy RulesMonopoly energy utilities have accrued vast service territories and extraordinary financial power — which they have used to purchase political power. At this point, state regulatory and legislative bodies can only do so much to rein them in.
In this episode from the Local Energy Rules archive, host John Farrell speaks with Howard Crystal and Liz Veazey. Crystal, Legal Director of the Energy Justice Program at the Center for Biological Diversity, and Veazey, Policy and Rural Energy Director at Solar United Neighbors, were two cosigners on a petition to the Federal Trade Commission, along with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Crystal an...
2024-01-1738 minBuilding Local PowerCleanup on Aisle 1990Is this the end of a grocery merger era that began with 385 grocery mergers from 1996-1999 alone? As news about the impending Federal Trade Commission decision to approve or deny the Kroger/Albertsons merger looms large, ILSR’s Ron Knox delves into the dominance of major grocery chains and explores the potential consequences of the proposed merger. In the second half of the episode, ILSR’s Kennedy Smith introduces her new “Community Wins” series, which highlights stories of communities establishing grocery stores that adopt innovative approaches to ownership, access, and governance. The burgeoning trend of community-driven grocery models is fueling a broade...
2023-12-1431 minLocal Energy RulesNew Paths for Rural Electric Co-op Revival — Episode 196 of Local Energy RulesThis is a defining moment for rural communities and the clean energy transition.
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Frances Sawyer, founder of Pleiades Strategy, and Maria McCoy, researcher at ILSR. They 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.
Explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.
https://ilsr.org/articles/rural-electric-coop-revival-ler196/
2023-11-0934 minBuilding Local PowerBlackRock v. Black GoldIn 2022, international investment firm BlackRock acquired Vanguard Renewables, to help Vanguard drastically expand its number of large-scale anaerobic digestion facilities across the U.S. and BlackRock’s own energy portfolio. Brenda Platt, director of ILSR’s Composting for Community Initiative shares her concern that like in many industries, this trend towards concentrated dominance over the inputs and outputs of this new technology control will ultimately harm communities and starve them of the resources necessary to build thriving, sustainable local economies. Dior St. Hillaire co-director of the NYC composting service BK ROT, adds to the discussion with her vision for New York...
2023-10-0500 minConnect This!Net Neutrality, Spectrum Sharing, and the Mystery of the Missing Monopolies | Episode 81 of the Connect This! ShowJoin us Thursday, September 28th at 3pm ET for the latest episode of the Connect This! Show. Co-hosts Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) and Travis Carter (USI Fiber) will be joined by regular guest Doug Dawson (CCG Consulting) and Kim McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber), with special guest Sean Gonsalves (ILSR) to tackle the promised return of net neutrality rules by the FCC, Google Fiber’s recently announced ACP plans, why the word “monopoly” seems in such short supply in the BEAD plans states have begun to file, and the future of spectrum sharing in the United States.
Email us at broadba...
2023-09-251h 18Building Local PowerBeer Mergers Brew DisasterIn the late 1800’s there were 4,000 breweries. By the 1970’s, just 40 companies operated 89 breweries. ILSR’s Ron Knox explains how the beer industry is now dominated by just a few large conglomerates who control distribution and present challenges for craft breweries. He showcases how when mega-corporation, Budweiser, bought SABMiller they promised efficiencies, that were never fulfilled. On the second half of the episode, Amanda Wright, Chief Operating Officer at Blaker’s Brewing details the unique charms of being an independent brewer.
For additional resources see: https://ilsr.org/building-local-power/
2023-09-0700 min
Two Worlds, One CountryA Re-Introduction to Walmart and Amazon with Stacy MitchellStacy Mitchell is Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and author of thebook Big Box Swindle, as well as articles for The Atlantic, New York Times, and more. Stacytalks how Walmart and dollar chains took over, how Amazon dwarfs them all, and ILSR’s workto stop monopoly power both locally and nationally.[1:35] Growing up in the north vs. the south[4:45] Big Box Window—writing about Walmart and big retail[11:20] Dollar chains and food deserts[14:30] Amazon’s dominance[22:10] Institute for Lo...
2023-06-1528 minConnect This!A Very Special Connect This! Show | Episode 65 of the Connect This! ShowJoin us on Wednesday, March 1st at 7:30pm ET for a very special episode of the show, live from Net Inclusion 2023 in San Antonio, Texas. Christopher Mitchell (ILSR) will be joined by Kim McKinley (UTOPIA Fiber), Angela Siefer (National Digital Inclusion Alliance), Autumn Evans (City of Detroit), and ILSR’s DeAnne Cuellar, and in front of a live audience at The Friendly Spot Icehouse. They’ll talk pilot projects to reach neighborhoods long left behind by the monopoly marketplace, how to overcome stubborn digital equity and inclusion challenges, what it takes for cities to make forward-thinking, bold choices for bett...
2023-02-231h 05
UnbufferedTraining to Build the Networks We Want at Broadband Bootcamps – Episode 537 of the Community Broadband Bits PodcastThis week on the podcast, Christopher is joined by ILSR Communications Team Lead Sean Gonsalves to talk about the most recent Tribal Broadband Bootcamp, in Gila River. Tribal attendees from across North America came together – some experienced, and others tackling structural broadband inequities in their regions for the first time – came together to meet each other, share lessons learned, and get hands-on experiences with the nuts and bolts about improving connectivity for families that have long been left behind by the private marketplace. With help from representatives from Gila River Telecommunications, attendees learned about deployment technologies, fiber splicing, security, operat...
2023-02-0126 min
Pitchfork Economics with Nick HanauerWhy we can't let Kroger buy Albertsons (with Stacy Mitchell)Kroger wants to buy Albertsons and effectively become the second-largest grocery chain in the United States. This merger would result in less competition, rising grocery prices, and lower wages. Corporate greed has gotten us into this mess, but new federal anti-merger guidelines, and some tenacious Attorneys General, may just get us out. Returning guest Stacy Mitchell explains why mergers like this one are bad news for workers and shoppers alike.Stacy Mitchell is Co-Executive Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a research and advocacy organization that challenges concentrated corporate power and works to...
2022-11-1542 minLocal Energy RulesInflation Reduction Act Boosts Local Solar — Episode 164 of Local Energy RulesOn Wenesday, as advocates held their breath, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law. But what exactly is in the 700-plus page bill?
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell is joined by Katie Kienbaum, Senior Researcher on ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative. They discuss the Inflation Reduction Act and how it will support distributed solar through extended tax credits, a greenhouse gas reduction fund, and other incentives.
Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.
https://ilsr.org/articles/inflation-reduction-act-local-solar-ler164/
2022-08-1926 minLocal Energy RulesThe Movement to Take Back Control From Monopoly Electric Utilities — Episode 154 of Local Energy RulesMonopoly electric utilities are digging their heels in; warding off competition and protecting their market power by any means necessary. Despite the vast resources of their opponents, several U.S. communities have won recent battles for energy democracy.
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, a rebroadcast from the Building Local Power Podcast, we share a recording of ILSR’s recent event Democratizing Power: New Citizen Initiatives Challenge Monopoly Electric Utilities. In the January 2022 event, ILSR’s Stacy Mitchell and John Farrell facilitated a conversation with four advocates. The conversations center around how communities have challenged monopoly power usin...
2022-04-131h 14Local Energy RulesDespite Promising Policies, Advocates Are Still Fighting for Community Power — Episode 153 of Local Energy RulesILSR’s Community Power Scorecard evaluates state policies based on how they help or hinder local clean energy action — but do the grades that states receive reflect the experience of advocates on the ground?
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Crystal Huang and Al Weinrub. Huang is a co-founder and worker owner of the People Power Solar Cooperative and the national coordinator of the Energy Democracy Project. Weinrub is the coordinator of the Local Clean Energy Alliance and a collaborator with the Energy Democracy Project. Farrell, Huang, and Weinrub discuss energy democracy chal...
2022-03-3048 min
The Community Composting PodcastEpisode #27. Neil Seldman - Institute of Local Self RelianceILSR website: ilsr.org/recycle (more specifically the Waste Article)
This article just came out in the National Recycling Coalition newsletter. Your audience may like Also, this summary article of recent investments.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzGmtFCfxjqXXrRhkZMGhTfjkmQW
And this upcoming webinar.
https://ilsr.org/webinar-investing-in-zero-waste-infrastructure/
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2022-01-2846 minThe Community Composting PodcastEpisode 24. Brenda Platt - Institute of Local Self RelianceFirst report on community scale composting - "Growing Local Fertility" (2014): https://ilsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/growing-local-fertility.pdf
Community Composting - Scale Training Program: https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Organics/CompostMulch/Community/
Info on The Compost Act: https://ilsr.org/proposed-federal-compost-act/
Master Compost Manual - NYC: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/docs/nyc-master-composter-manual-mcm.pdf
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2021-12-1755 minComposting for CommunityCompost Helps Local Farm Build Healthy Soils & Feed Their Community (feat. Moon Valley Farm)On this episode of the Composting for Community Podcast, ILSR’s Linda Bilsens Brolis and Sophia Hosain speak with Emma Jagoz, owner of Moon Valley Farm in Maryland. They discuss the role compost has played in supporting the growth of their community-supported, first generation farm that is growing certified organic vegetables and herbs for Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.
https://ilsr.org/articles/compost-builds-healthy-soils-moon-valley/
2021-11-3000 minPitchfork Economics with Nick HanauerHow corporate concentration hurts the economy (with Stacy Mitchell)Anti-monopoly and pro-local advocate Stacy Mitchell joins the show to talk about small business, big business, and decentralizing economic power. Stacy Mitchell is the co-director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. She directs ILSR’s Independent Business Initiative, which produces research and analysis and partners with a broad range of allies to design and implement policies to reverse corporate concentration and strengthen local enterprise. Twitter: @stacyfmitchellFurther reading: Small Business Rising: https://www.smallbusinessrising.net/Ins...
2021-10-1232 min
UnbufferedThe Great Debate Over Telecommunications Competition and Regulation – Episode 476 of the Community Broadband Bits PodcastOn this episode of the Community Broadband Bits podcast, host Christopher Mitchell is joined by occasional guest host Sean Gonsalves, ILSR’s Senior Reporter, Editor, and Researcher to take a hard look at our philosophies around competition and telecommunications regulation. Sean briefly recaps a recent update by ILSR Researcher and Writer Jericho Casper on preemption developments over … Continue reading "The Great Debate Over Telecommunications Competition and Regulation – Episode 476 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"
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2021-09-2852 min
UnbufferedRecent Developments in Vermont and New Hampshire and the Real Broadband Challenges in America – Episode 465 of the Community Broadband Bits PodcastThis week on the Community Broadband Bits podcast, Christopher Mitchell chats with Sean Gonsalves, ILSR’s Community Broadband Senior Reporter, Editor and Researcher to catch up on some of the most interesting broadband stories in recent weeks. The two begin by discussing a recent story by Jericho Casper, ILSR Researcher and Writer, reporting more than 20 communities in … Continue reading "Recent Developments in Vermont and New Hampshire and the Real Broadband Challenges in America – Episode 465 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast"
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2021-06-2929 min
In Our Backyard Podcast2. Road to Renewables : John FarrellJohn Farrell works with the Institute for Local Self Reliance, a national research and advocacy organization fighting corporate control to develop the intersection between the economy and the environment. John Farrell is the director of their Energy Democracy Initiative, which, as the name suggests, is a movement to allow more public choice in energy source consumption. The cause hopes to take the decision of energy sources from larger utilities and corporations and give it to us as individuals, so we have more options in our energy resources and hence can choose a more sustainable, renewable energy source. Join me...
2021-06-1118 minLocal Energy RulesHow Big Utilities’ Climate Pledges Fall Short — Episode 129 of Local Energy RulesCan a utility company be carbon neutral by 2050 if it builds a gas plant now? Maybe if it shuts off the gas plant well before its 40 years of useful life are complete, leaving electric customers to pay off millions in debt.
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with John Romankiewicz, Senior Analyst for the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. Romankiewicz and the Sierra Club released a report in January scoring utilities on their plans to transition from fossil fuels to clean power. Farrell and Romankiewicz discuss how utilities are doing far too li...
2021-05-0538 min
How To Citizen with BaratundeBut They Make It So Easy! (with Stacy Mitchell)Our extreme wealth inequality isn’t just caused by economic exclusion; we are also struggling with the concentration of corporate power. Simply put, most of our money flows directly into the pockets of a few wealthy individuals. This week, Baratunde learns how it’s possible for Amazon to receive one out of every two dollars spent online. He speaks with antitrust reformer Stacy Mitchell who breaks down why concentrated power like this is a threat to our businesses, communities, and democracy.Guest: Stacy Mitchell Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-RelianceTwitter: @stacyfmitchellBio...
2021-04-2939 minLocal Energy RulesShould Big Utilities Pay for Their Bad Choices? — Episode 124 of Local Energy RulesAn advocacy group in Boulder, Colo. has made the case for why utilities, not customers, should be responsible for the cost of retiring fossil fuel assets.
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Leslie Glustrom, an advocate with Clean Energy Action in Boulder. They discussed Clean Energy Action’s white paper on utility accountability and how we can equitably transition to a clean energy future for a recent episode of ILSR’s Building Local Power podcast, republished here for Local Energy Rules.
Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a tran...
2021-02-2451 minLocal Energy RulesIn Seattle, Corporations Must Pay Their Fair Share to Support Climate Justice — Episode 119 of Local Energy RulesIn the midst of a global pandemic, online shopping behemoth Amazon has now tripled its quarterly profits. Meanwhile Seattle, the home of Amazon headquarters, suffers from a housing crisis in which the “city is becoming too expensive for nearly half of our population.”
For this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Jill Mangaliman, Executive Director of Got Green, and Abigail Juaner of Puget Sound Sage. They discussed the Jumpstart Seattle tax — which will help fund housing and Green New Deal initiatives — for a recent episode of ILSR’s Building Local Power podcast, republished here for Local...
2020-12-1600 minLocal Energy RulesThe Post-Election Potential for a 30 Million Solar Home Stimulus — Episode 116 of Local Energy RulesThe Nov. 3rd election is behind us, though the votes are still being counted. How will the next presidential administration, whichever that may be, affect the potential for a distributed solar stimulus?
For this post-Election Day episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, John Farrell and Katie Kienbaum of ILSR’s Energy Democracy Initiative discuss the intersection between federal policy and 30 Million Solar Rooftops: a vision for equitable economic recovery built on climate protection and energy democracy.
Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.
https://ilsr.org/articles/30-million-solar-rooftops-stimulus-ler-116/
2020-11-0530 min
Go Cultivate!Safeguarding small business during the pandemic – with Kennedy SmithIn this episode, Kevin speaks with Kennedy Smith, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR), about strategies that city leaders can use to help local businesses weather the pandemic—and the post-pandemic world. Kennedy has just authored a report titled 'Safeguarding Small Business During the Pandemic: 26 Strategies for Local Leaders.'The 26 actions outlined are grouped into three main priority areas that address immediate, short-term, and longer-term actions to guide community leaders:First: Provide quick relief to keep businesses afloatNext: Help businesses adapt and pivotLater: Fix systemic problems that the pandemic has laid bare...
2020-08-141h 08Local Energy RulesIs Energy Still a “Natural Monopoly”? — Episode 109 of Local Energy Rules PodcastIn this episode of the Local Energy Rules Podcast, we feature host John Farrell’s interview with Scott Hempling for ILSR’s Building Local Power podcast. Scott Hempling is an author, expert witness, lawyer, and law professor specializing in utility regulatory issues. Their discussion covers the changing ideas around natural monopolies, the consolidation of such monopolies in recent years, and the improvements necessary to modernize the old utility system.
Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.
https://ilsr.org/articles/is-energy-still-a-natural-monopoly-episode-109-of-local-energy-rules-podcast/
2020-07-3045 minBuilding Local PowerWhy Our Best Opportunity to Challenge Corporate Control is at the Local Level (Episode 105)In this episode of Building Local Power, host Jess Del Fiacco is joined by Zach Freed, researcher with ILSR's Independent Business initiative, and John Farrell, ILSR co-director. The three discuss ILSR's new Fighting Monopoly Power guide, which spells out how local leaders can challenge concentrated corporate power in the banking, broadband, electricity, food and farming, pharmacy, small business, and waste sectors.
2020-07-2300 minComposting for CommunityImplementing COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Food Scrap Drop-Off: Spotlight on the Community Compost Depot at Frey Gardens in ProvidenceOn this episode, ILSR’s Brenda Platt dialogues with Michael Bradlee, President of Earth Appliance Organics in Providence, Rhode Island, to discuss how one community composter is continuing to collect and compost food scraps with new safety protocols in place.
Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.
https://ilsr.org/articles/covid-safety-protocols-feat-community-compost-depot/
2020-05-2100 minBuilding Local PowerHow States and Cities Are Leading the Clean Energy Revolution (Episode 96)Jess Del Fiacco talks with ILSR Co-Director John Farrell about recent publications from ILSR's Energy Democracy initiative, including the Community Power Scorecard, which grades states on whether their energy policies help or hinder local clean energy action, and ILSR's recent report on community choice energy, which allows communities take charge of their energy supply.
2020-04-0200 minComposting for CommunityThe Case for Government Support of Community Composting (feat. Queens Botanical Garden)On this episode, guest host Brenda Platt talks with Elsa Higby and Aleks Jagiello of the New York Compost Project Hosted by Queens Botanical Garden. This is Part 2 of ILSR’s discussion with them; to catch the first part, head over to our Building Local Power Podcast.
Listen to the full episode and explore more resources below — including a transcript and summary of the conversation.
https://ilsr.org/articles/the-case-for-government-support-of-community-composting/
2020-03-1600 minLocal Energy RulesVoices of 100%: Climate Justice Plan Upends Typical City Process, Putting Communities First — Episode 93 of Local Energy Rules PodcastTo 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 ho...
2019-12-1830 minLocal Energy RulesTurkey Talk: Energy Policy and Thanksgiving — Episode 91 of Local Energy Rules PodcastWhat 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 conve...
2019-11-2835 minLocal Energy RulesEvaluating the Minneapolis Clean Energy Partnership, Five Years In — Bonus Episode of Local Energy Rules PodcastThe 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 partnershi...
2019-10-1825 minLocal Energy RulesWhy Gas Has to Go – And How Cities Can Show it the Door — Episode 87 of Local Energy Rules PodcastIn 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...
2019-10-0932 minLocal Energy RulesThe Environment, The Economy, and Equity – Episode 83 of Local Energy Rules PodcastWhat exactly is energy democracy, and how will we achieve it? The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is seeking an answer to this complex question, but we are far from the only folks doing so.
ILSR shares this space with the Energy Democracy Project, which came together in 2016. With editors Denise Fairchild and Al Weinrub, they published a book on the subject in 2017, Energy Democracy: Advancing Equity in Clean Energy Solutions. The book illustrates what energy democracy looks like in practice.
On this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Denise Fairchild, President of the Emerald...
2019-08-1433 minLocal Energy RulesUsing Disaster to Build a New, (d)emocratic Energy Paradigm — Episode 78 of Local Energy Rules PodcastCan an island economy overcome hurricane devastation to seize the opportunity for energy democracy?
Ingrid Vila is an engineer and director of Cambio, a Puerto Rico based nonprofit. In a coalition called Queremos Sol – we want sun – Ingrid works with many other organizations on the island and off to prioritize community-owned, local renewable energy. Nearly two years after Hurricane Maria destroyed the island’s electrical grid, an influx of federal recovery dollars may provide the catalyst to rebuild the island’s economy by reimagining its grid, starting with solar on rooftops and local energy storage.
In this May 2019 interview, ILSR’s Director o...
2019-06-0635 minLocal Energy RulesFrom the Archive: A David and Goliath Fight to Tap World Class Solar — Episode 75 of Local Energy RulesIn early 2014, John Farrell, director of ILSR’s Energy Democracy initiative, hosted a conversation with Mariel Nanasi, executive director of New Energy Economy, about how the city of Santa Fe’s incumbent and monopoly electric utility Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) was failing to take advantage of the city’s abundant local, solar resources, while residents pushed the city and utility to implement more local climate solutions and distributed solar.
Today, New Energy Economy and residents of Santa Fe continue to push for local, clean energy and greater control over the city’s energy future. Still, their earlier efforts...
2019-04-2516 minLocal Energy RulesWhy Garbage Incinerators Are A Bad Deal For Communities — Episode 74 of Local Energy Rules PodcastWhy are garbage incinerators such a bad deal for communities?
In this episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, host John Farrell speaks with Marie Donahue, ILSR researcher, and Neil Seldman, Director of ILSR’s Waste to Wealth Initiative, about the harmful impacts of burning trash to generate electricity. The three spoke for a recent episode of the Institute’s Building Local Power podcast, reproduced here.
The conversation dives into ILSR’s late-2018 report Waste Incineration: A Dirty Secret in How States Define Renewable Energy, highlights the harmful impacts of burning trash to generate electricity, and outlines what steps cities like B...
2019-04-1137 minLocal Energy RulesA Massachusetts Town Realizes a Community Vision to Transition from Coal to Sol — Episode 73 of Local Energy Rules PodcastHow can a community close a coal plant and produce clean electricity, respect the needs of its community members, and provide a just transition for power plant workers?
A successful, multi-year campaign by community members in Holyoke, Mass., to address air pollution and related public health impacts from the coal-fired Mount Tom Power Station and push for clean energy provides a powerful model.
As a new video about this campaign by the Toxics Action Center shows, community efforts were instrumental in closing the nearby plant. The campaign didn’t stop there, however. It pushed for initiatives to help plant workers tr...
2019-03-2829 minLocal Energy RulesDon’t-Miss Opportunity for Local Choice in Landmark Carbon-Free Bills — Episode 72 of Local Energy Rules PodcastClean energy policy is sweeping the states in 2019, with numerous bills setting targets of 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2050. While these climate-friendly policy proposals have many advocates excited, some utility companies also see them as a golden opportunity.
With advocates laser-focused on climate instead of how renewable energy is deployed and by whom, utility shareholders can win rich rewards by locking in ownership of billions of dollars of new clean energy infrastructure at a hefty price premium to customers.
Mariel Nanasi, executive director of New Energy Economy in New Mexico, joined ILSR’s Director of Energy Democracy, John Farrell, in March 2019, fo...
2019-03-0833 minLocal Energy RulesSmall Minnesota Community Faces David v. Goliath Negotiation for Community Solar — Episode 69 of Local Energy Rules PodcastWhat does it take to build a community solar project (with battery storage) in a small town in northern Minnesota when the monopoly wholesale energy company tells your small city-owned utility to “lawyer up”?
Bill Schnell is the lead volunteer with the Itasca Clean Energy Team, a small group of active citizens in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, working to secure a community solar project for the town. He spoke with John Farrell, ILSR’s director of energy democracy, in January 2019, about building community support for the project and overcoming the objections of Minnesota Power, the electricity supplier to the small town’s city-o...
2019-02-0121 minLocal Energy RulesA ‘Year of 100’ for Local, Renewable Energy in 2018 — Episode 67 of Local Energy Rules PodcastCo-director of ILSR and Energy Democracy initiative director John Farrell and research associate Marie Donahue sat down before the winter break to reflect on what they are describing as the “Year of 100” — a landmark year for 100 percent renewable energy commitments in 2018.
In this special year-end episode of the Local Energy Rules podcast, Farrell and Donahue recap the many ambitious renewable energy commitments made by states, utilities, and cities, this year. The two discuss what we can learn from these resolutions and how to ensure benefits from the clean energy transition remain both local and equitable.
Tune in for highlights from 2018 and a...
2018-12-3133 minLocal Energy RulesVoices of 100%: Abita Springs Fights for Community Solar in Louisiana — Episode 65 of Local Energy Rules PodcastNearly 100 U.S. cities have formally adopted ambitious commitments to power their communities with 100 percent renewable energy by deadlines set in the 2030s or beyond.
Among those communities, many large cities have made high-profile commitments and garnered significant media attention. Fewer small communities are well-known for setting these goals. Abita Springs, however, has claimed the title of the first community in Louisiana and among a select number of towns its size nationwide committed to a 100% renewable energy future. Located in St. Tammany Parish, the community is home to only a few thousand people.
Following successful organizing efforts by the volunteer-led...
2018-11-1926 minLocal Energy RulesSolar Co-ops Support Clean Energy Advances in D.C. — Episode 64 of Local Energy Rules PodcastHow 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/
2018-11-1328 minLocal Energy RulesVoices of 100%: Will Portland Voters Opt for New Equitable Clean Energy Fund? — Episode 63 of Local Energy Rules PodcastMore 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 c...
2018-10-3133 minLocal Energy RulesVoices of 100%: Atlanta Works Toward Clean Energy for All — Episode 62 of Local Energy Rules PodcastOver 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.
Si...
2018-10-1021 min
The Next System PodcastEp. 24: The Antidote to the Amazon EconomyThis week Stacy Mitchell, Co-Director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) and Director of ILSR’s Community-Scaled Economy initiative, joins Adam Simpson and special co-host Katie Parker to discuss locally-minded economics and what effects they might have on our communities. Subscribe to the Next System Podcast via iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Play, Stitcher Radio, or RSS. Transcripts of all episodes are available at www.thenextsystem.org.
2018-09-2141 minLocal Energy RulesVoices of 100%: San Diego’s Pathway Forward — Episode 61 of Local Energy Rules PodcastOver 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 clea...
2018-09-1920 minLocal Energy RulesGetting San Diego Ready for 100% Renewable Energy — Episode 52 of Local Energy Rules PodcastMore than 50 U.S. cities have made commitments to reach 100 percent renewable electricity, many inspired by Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign and the cost-effectiveness of solar and wind power. But how do communities build the political will to adopt such goals, and how do they plan to meet them?
In San Diego, the answer to both is the exercise of local authority. In particular, the city is taking advantage of the state’s community choice energy law to take over selecting where the city’s residents and businesses get their electricity.
Nicole Capretz is the executive director of the Climat...
2018-03-1421 minComposting for CommunitySelf-Reliance & Transformation Through Composting (feat. Terra Nova Compost) – Episode #1In this episode, we talk with Corinne Coe-Law, Co-Founder and Director of the Atlanta-based Terra Nova Compost Cooperative. Terra Nova Compost aims to teach underserved communities the value and importance of soil building as it relates to urban agriculture, food justice and climate change. Corinne also led ILSR’s first national replication of its Neighborhood Soil Rebuilders composter training program in Atlanta in 2016. These students are now leading nine projects around Atlanta at a time when support for community composting in the area is growing.
Corinne discusses her successful replication of the NSR program, and the ability of loca...
2017-11-2900 minLocal Energy RulesBoulder County Incentive Program Drives Adoption of Two ‘Sexy Electrics’: Solar and Electric Cars — Episode 47 of Local Energy Rules PodcastAn innovative group purchasing program in Boulder County, Colorado, put hundreds of electric vehicles on local roads and sparked the addition of more than 1 megawatt of rooftop solar in its first two years. Now, the initiative is a springboard for efforts nationwide to allow consumers to seize control of their clean energy future.
The Boulder County project was the first in the country to offer dual incentives for integrating electric vehicles and rooftop solar. It started as part of an ongoing push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, taking specific aim at transportation, a major contributor of harmful pollutants. To date...
2017-06-1916 minBuilding Local PowerBolstering Waste Recovery Through Model Legislation (Episode 11)In this episode, Christopher Mitchell, the director of ILSR's Community Broadband Networks initiative, interviews Brenda Platt, ILSR co-director and director of our Waste to Wealth initiative. The two discuss the history of ILSR's Zero Waste work and how the conversation around composting and waste has changed in her 30 years at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.… Read More
2017-02-0900 minLocal Energy RulesIn Santa Fe, Momentum Builds for Locals to Take Charge of Electricity System – Episode 39 of Local Energy Rules PodcastA widening chasm between what customers want and what Santa Fe’s electric utility delivers is bolstering a campaign to rejigger power production and distribution, possibly putting the city itself in charge.
The municipalization campaign, years in the making, comes as the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) leans on a long-term strategy that shortchanges renewables, includes shaky financial analysis, and diverges from what most ratepayers say they want.
Now, New Energy Economy — the Santa Fe advocacy group spearheading the effort — is vetting its options for toppling a monopoly criticized for its resistance to renewables and market-leading fees. Santa Fe cou...
2016-09-0828 minLocal Energy RulesListen: John Farrell Gives Plenary Presentation at NESEA – Local Energy Rules Podcast ExtraILSR’s John Farrell was a plenary speaker at the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association’s 2016 annual conference in Boston, MA. The conference was held from March 8th through the 10th and focused on advancing the adoption of sustainable energy practices by bringing over 3,500 renewable energy professionals together.
John’s opening plenary pinpointed key challenges of our current centralized energy infrastructure and the opportunity to ensure local ownership and distributed energy resources. Later on in the conference, John gave a session presentation focusing on the question: Does Electric Grid 2.0 Mean Energy Democracy?
https://ilsr.org/articles/john-farrell-nesea-keynote/
2016-03-1711 minLocal Energy RulesListen: Unanswered Questions about the Public Rooftop Revolution – Local Energy Rules Podcast ExtraAt the beginning of June 2015, ILSR released its Public Rooftop Revolution report, which described how cities across the nation put the shine on municipal rooftops with more than 5,000 MW of solar. That 5,000 MW is as much as one-quarter of all solar installed in the U.S. to date — and many cities could install solar little or no upfront cash. The energy savings would allow cities to redirect millions to other public goods.
ILSR’s Director of Democratic Energy John Farrell presented the report’s findings in a webinar, hosted by Applied Solutions, on June 9, 2015. But time constraints meant many unanswered questi...
2015-06-2224 minLocal Energy RulesKansas City’s Royal Effort to Solarize City Rooftops – Episode 25 of Local Energy Rules PodcastKansas City, MO, has neither the abundant sunshine nor high cost of electricity that have driven solar installations in other cities. Despite this, the city has close to 1.5 MW of solar in 59 separate installations on municipal properties. Thanks to utility rebates, two department leaders, and a unique opportunity that allowed it to access the 30% federal tax credit, the city was able to make solar work in an otherwise challenging climate of modest sun and low electricity prices.
In April, ILSR’s John Farrell interviewed Charles Harris, project manager with the Kansas City. Harris suggested that the project got its start in...
2015-06-0315 min