In this first of a special two part interview, John Farrell, Director of Energy Democracy with the Institute of Local Self-Reliance, describes the challenges and barriers we face in shifting to clean local energy and the programs his leading think tank believes will move us toward a more equitable energy future.

* South Korean investment into U.S. battery manufacturing
* Utilities attempting to shift costs to homeowners with solar
* Record-breaking adoption of batteries and PV solar in 2020
* Plus articles and podcasts from the Freeing Energy team

Batteries are not a new idea but plummeting costs have positioned them to disrupt two of the world’s biggest industries: automobiles and the electric grid. Listen in as battery guru Steve LeVine helps us understand how this will all unfold.

What should the new administration focus on? How do we balance domestic manufacturing with low cost imports? Abby shares her insights on this and much more.

The real cause of the Texas grid outage of 2021 have been lost amidst misguided political bickering. This graph, which is based on undisputed publicly available data, makes it clear what happened.

Corn is the #1 crop grown on US farms. Most of it is used to make gasoline-additive ethanol. Solar is the much smarter option.

* Breaking down the situation in Texas
* A look at the forces seeking to limit residential solar
* Diving into arguments against renewables
* Plus two exciting podcasts from the Freeing Energy team

California is considering whether to change its pioneering net metering program. The future of local energy is at stake. Bernadette explains the issues behind this make-or-break policy in 2021.

The truth is that solar panels are made almost entirely with abundant, earth-friendly materials like glass, aluminum, copper, and silicon. However, as the market for solar continues to expand, concerns have emerged about trace toxic compounds used in panels. The first, lead, is widely used for soldering electronic components together. Each standard solar panel contains… Read More

Host Bill Nussey takes a walking tour of an amazing solar project being built on the Emory University campus by Cherry Street Energy and its CEO Michael Chanin.

* Clean energy investment breaks $500 billion last year
* A simple plan to remove barriers for residential solar
* California’s oil and gas wells hiding in plain sight
* Plus three exciting podcasts from the Freeing Energy team

Host Bill Nussey takes a walking tour of an amazing solar project being built on the Emory University campus by Cherry Street Energy and its CEO Michael Chanin.