New Rules Staff

John Bailey is ILSR's senior energy policy researcher. Bailey has been with ILSR since 1992 and is the author of reports across a range of topics including local road financing in Minneapolis, wind energy taxation, ecological tax reform and climate change policy. 

He is ILSR's webrarian [www.ilsr.org] and has designed and operated not only ILSR's suite of web sites but on contract for 9 years the web site of Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy [now Fresh Energy]. He co-managed the Institute’s carbon tax shift campaign in the 1990s.  He served for three years as a key member of two working groups that established Minnesota's statewide interconnection standards and tariffs for clean, distributed generation projects in Minnesota. 

In 2005, he spearheaded the legislative effort that led to a new state law directing the MN Dept. of Commerce and Public Utilities Commission to set up an e-Filing system to enhance public participation in energy related regulatory proceedings and to save taxpayer money.  He is editor of an online e-Bulletin, Democratic Energy, that tracks innovative developments and public policies that support community based energy development and distributed generation. More

Dr. David Morris is co founder and vice president of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. His five non-fiction books range from an analysis of Chilean development to the future of electric power to the transformation of cities and neighborhoods. His columns have appeared in over 200 magazines, journals and newspapers, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Japan Times, International Herald Tribune, Smithsonian magazine and Journal of Commerce. He has been a consultant to local, state and federal governments in the U.S. and abroad. More

Christopher Mitchell is the Director of the Telecommunications as Commons Initiative.  He has worked as a server administrator, web geek, and in automated software quality assurance. He earned a Master's degree in Public Policy from the Hubert Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Macalester College.

Christopher's work focuses on telecommunications -- helping communities ensure the networks upon which they depend, are accountable to the community.  He has published several reports, articles, and interviews while also offering technical assistance to communities around the country.

In the Minneapolis office, Christopher tries not to distract his colleague John Farrell more than 5 times per day.  He is also a sports photographer and rock climbing enthusiast.  While on rock-climbing trips, Chris is known to stop by nearby community broadband networks for a tour. More

John Farrell is an ILSR senior researcher specializing in energy policy developments that best expand the benefits of local ownership and dispersed generation of renewable energy.  He has written extensively on the economies of scale of renewable energy, the benefits of decentralized energy generation, and the policies and rules that support locally owned and distributed generation of renewable energy.

He has authored one of the leading summaries of feed-in tariffs for the U.S. electricity policy market titled, Feed-in Tariffs in America: Driving the Economy with Renewable Energy Policy that Works. More

Stacy Mitchell is a senior researcher with the New Rules Project and directs its initiative to curb the power of big-box retailers and strengthen locally owned businesses.

Mitchell has served as an advisor to numerous community and small business organizations, and has helped dozens of cities and towns implement new land use and economic development policies. An engaging speaker, Mitchell has given presentations at many national conferences and public forums.

Her latest book, Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America's Independent Businesses (Beacon Press, 2006), has appeared on several top-ten lists and was described by Bill McKibben as "the ultimate account of the single most important economic trend in our country."

In addition to her work with the New Rules Project, Mitchell chairs the American Independent Business Alliance and is a founding board member of the Portland Independent Business & Community Alliance. She lives in Portland, Maine. More