The Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Online/Digital
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance has a vision of thriving, diverse, equitable communities. To reach this vision, we build local power to fight corporate control. We are a national research and advocacy organization that partners with allies across the country to build an American economy driven by local priorities and accountable to people and the planet.
Local self-reliance means that people are able to exercise power over our lives: how we provide for our families, how resources are shared and allocated in our communities, and how decisions made by government, corporations and business affect all of us.
We recognize the biggest challenges in the U.S. today are corporate control and diminishing community power which undermines the strength of our democracy and local economies. For us, local self-reliance is the best answer to these challenges.
So whether it’s fighting back against the outsize power of monopolies like Amazon, ensuring high-quality locally-driven broadband service for all, or advocating to keep local renewable energy in the community that produced it, ILSR advocates for solutions that harness the power of citizens and communities. Source
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Media Outlet details
| Scope | National |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Country | United States of America |
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Recent Articles
Search ArticlesThe FCC on Trial: Defense of Free Speech and the Future of Media Regulation – Episode 27 of Unbuffered
In this episode of Unbuffered, Chris sits down with TechFreedom President Berin Szóka and Benton Institute Senior Fellow Gigi Sohn to analyze the growing threats to free speech and broadcast licenses under FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and the Trump administration.
In Democracy Journal : History’s Lessons about Monopolies and Fascism
Big Tech oligarchs are cozying up to the president in exchange for the regulatory leeway to amass unchecked power, explains Ron Knox in a new Democracy Journal essay that warns about the connection between monopolies and fascism. Drawing lessons from the past, Ron shows that corporate power poses an existential threat to America’s democracy.
Big Impact of Small Solar Quarterly Update: 2026 Q2
The quarterly Big Impact of Small Solar series aims to show just how much distributed, small-scale (community, residential, and commercial) solar is contributing to new power capacity additions in the United States. Local, small solar and storage projects, when added together, can have a big impact on the energy transition! Key takeaways: Solar continues to be the primary source of new electricity capacity in the U.S., with 55 percent of new capacity in Q2 from large and small solar.
The Green Bank that Made Solar on Schools Simple — Episode 280 of Local Energy Rules
Public Funding Built America’s Airports and Schools. It Can Build Renewables Too. Every U.S. international airport is publicly owned. So are 87% of water systems. Public libraries lend books for free and nobody calls it radical. Jason Kowalski, Executive Director of the Public Renewables Project, argues clean energy deserves the same treatment. Public financing and development can catapult distributed clean power.
Tree Canopies, Broken Data, and DOGE Math – Episode 26 of Unbuffered
In this episode of Unbuffered, Chris and Sean break down the flawed realities behind national broadband data and policy. They dive into the Federal Communications Commission’s latest 706 report, calling out its questionable citations and reliance on unchecked ISP claims.
ILSR’s 2026 Annual Report
A Message from the Co-Directors The signs are everywhere: 33 states, plus the District of Columbia, securing a guilty verdict against Live Nation/Ticketmaster for operating an illegal monopoly even after the Trump administration tried to accept a weak settlement. The surge in Tribal Internet networks, which have doubled since our last count in 2020.
Composting Infographics and Signage
Composting Infographics and Signage Washington, D.C. – Zero Waste Omnibus Act to Encourage Composting & Source Separation Smashing (& Composting) Pumpkins Albuquerque, New Mexico – Updated Zoning to Encourage Community Composting
Sustain, Empower, Evolve: Planting Local Seeds for Digital Equity
As Digital Inclusion Week 2026 kicks off October 4-10, the Building for Digital Equity webinar series returns with a timely question: with federal support for digital equity work in retreat, what does it actually take to keep this work alive, growing, and reaching people at the local level?B4DE DIW October 8 On October 8 at 3 pm ET the hour-long livestream — titled “Sustain, Empower, Evolve: Planting Local Seeds for Digital Equity” — will be co-hosted by the Institute for Local Self...
Washington, D.C. – Zero Waste Omnibus Act to Encourage Composting & Source Separation
In December 2020, Washington, D.C., passed the Zero Waste Omnibus Amendment Act. This legislation is a crucial foundation for the District’s organics site management and recycling infrastructure.
Smashing (& Composting) Pumpkins
Smash and compost your pumpkins! One day pumpkin composting will be as common as Christmas tree recycling. If you backyard compost, add your pumpkin. Remove candles, wax and any decorations. Don’t compost pumpkins with paint or glitter. It helps if you smash or cut pumpkin into several pieces (as opposed to one whole pumpkin), but it’s not necessary.