John Farrell
News & Commentary Smart Energy
US regulator smashes biggest roadblock to clean, local power for electric co-ops
With a recent ruling, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission may have recently crashed one of the biggest gates to the cooperative clean energy party.
What would it take to power the entire U.S. economy on renewable resources alone?
While utilities in US continue to imply that large-scale solar projects are more economical than small ones, the data is telling another story.
Will utility-owned rooftop solar add to or replace customer ownership of solar? And secondarily, is this a good deal for utility customers?
In 2015, America's 6 largest metropolitan areas are already at solar parity, representing 30m+ people. By 2021, the same could apply to 150 million people.
News & Commentary Renewables
How other cities can match Georgetown’s low-cost switch to 100% wind & sun
There are two key reasons why the city of Georgetown, Texas will be getting the equivalent of 100% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2017.
Many states have limited how much of their electricity can come from local sources like rooftop solar, by capping their net metering programs.
The rapidly falling cost of solar is making solar more economical in more big cities in the US than many people expected, and way sooner than anyone thought.
Despite a world-class resource, the city of Arizona utility intends to avoid major solar investment by pretending it is too costly. Why? and how?
Today’s electricity system differs from this ill-fated ship in one key respect: we still have the power to avoid the collision.
