ILSR’s energy democracy work aims to create community economies enriched by pursuit of 100% renewable energy. This work is in the context of our focus on building local power over all sectors of the economy. The following video illustrates:
Our energy work straddles two areas of work:
- Empowering local communities through direct technical assistance, strategic advice, and policy toolkits (ranging from podcast stories to in-depth reports to infographics), and
- Challenging the power of incumbent, often monopoly, corporations that control the energy system by advancing campaigns and policies to increase the relative power of communities.
Pro-Local Policies and Research
To browse the wide array of local energy policies in context, check out our interactive Community Power Toolkit
For a deeper dive, check out ILSR’s research into these policy areas:
- Rooftop Solar
- Community Renewable Energy
- Microgrids
- Inclusive Energy Financing
- Electric Vehicles
- Rural Electric Cooperatives
- Economic Advantages of Local Renewable Energy
- Economies of Scale in Renewable Energy
- Taking over the electricity system via municipalization or community choice energy
Anti-Concentration Policies
To see these pro-competition policies in context, see which states do best with our Community Power Map.
For a deeper dive, see ILSR’s work on:
- Net energy metering
- Third party (non-utility) solar ownership
- Wholesale competition (PURPA)
- Community renewable energy policies
- City franchise fees: as a source of revenue, or for use in negotiation with utilities
- Community choice aggregation
- Utility mergers and monopoly power