Energy Democracy

Discussion

Anna Bergren Miller:

"In a December 2014report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, John Farrell makes the case for a more radical shift, which he calls "Utility 3.0" or "energy democracy." By relocating control and ownership from the utilities to their customers, Farrell argues, Utility 3.0 allows communities to take advantage of the economic as well as the environmental benefits of the shift to clean energy.

...

Farrell lays out the requirement for true "energy democracy," which include not just the technological developments associated with Utility 2.0 (such as smartphone apps and smart appliances) but financial mechanisms like on-bill repayment and community organizing and education, particularly in underserved areas. "Managing energy should be as easy as managing a mutual fund by selecting a 'moderate' or 'aggressive' portfolio," Farrell writes. "And these tools have to be ubiquitous and affordable . . . to ensure access." (http://www.shareable.net/blog/utility-30-how-to-democratize-energy-in-the-us)

More Information

• Graph, the , at http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/Beyond%20Utility%202.0%20to%20Energy%20Democracy_1.jpg?itok=3ng0BES3

• Utility 3.0

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