The Neighborhood Power Grid | How Community Energy is Fixing Utilities

Welcome back to The Community Curiosity Collective! In an age of runaway energy bills and unreliable grids, we ask a crucial question: What if the power source wasn't hundreds of miles away, but right in your neighborhood?

This week, we dive into the soaring trend of Community-Owned Renewable Energy Projects—local, decentralized initiatives where citizens invest in and benefit from their own power sources, from rooftop solar cooperatives to local wind farms. This "Power to the People" model is more than just a clean energy transition; it's a social and economic revolution.

We explore how this grassroots model is surging globally, with over 2 million people involved in 23,000 projects across 30 European countries alone. Community energy provides an alternative to the utility-led system that has historically prioritized profit over people, leading to blackouts and transmission line failures.

In this episode, we spotlight local heroes, including Brooklyn's UPROSE (Brooklyn's oldest Latino community-based organization) and their work on the Sunset Park Solar project, as well as efforts to bring solar to marginalized communities right here in Indiana.

Learn how community ownership creates a massive Upside by:

• Increasing Energy Security through local microgrids and Distributed Energy Resources (DERs).
• Driving Economic Benefits and job creation directly back into the neighborhood.
• Reducing resistance to renewable projects, leading to a faster, fairer transition.

This is the inspiring story of how collective action is democratizing energy, making power cleaner, safer, and fairer for all.

Show Notes

Power to the People: An Overview of Community Energy | Earth.org

Uprose

Sunset Park Solar

What is community ownership for renewable energy? | Institute for Human Rights and Benefits

Community-Owned Community Solar: Opportunities and Challenges | Environmental Law and Policy Center

A landfill in Indy will soon be home to community solar | Mirror Indy

Solar United Neighbors

Solar power is about to become a lot more expensive for Hoosiers as net metering expires | IndyStar