Solar and Wind Prices Expected to Continue to Fall
Posted on Jun 29, 2016 in Environmental | Comments Off on Solar and Wind Prices Expected to Continue to Fall
The cost for solar photovoltaic (PV) generation and onshore wind power is expected to continue to fall and to be approximately 5 to 6 cents per kilowatt hour by the end of the decade, according to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency. This decrease in cost is largely due to improved technology, reduced overall systems costs and favorable policies. To help support...
FAA Relaxes Drone Rules; Caution Urged for Coops
Posted on Jun 28, 2016 in Innovation/Efficiency, Regulation & Policy, Technology | Comments Off on FAA Relaxes Drone Rules; Caution Urged for Coops
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has relaxed rules on commercial use of drones weighing less than 55 pounds. The NRECA is urging caution for coops interested in utilizing the new technology.
USDA Announces New Program to Help Rural Utilities
Posted on Jun 22, 2016 in Energy Savings Programs, Financing | Comments Off on USDA Announces New Program to Help Rural Utilities
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the new Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP). RESP is a program aimed at helping rural residents conserve energy and save money on their utility bills. The RESP will make available $52 million in interest free loans to rural energy providers who fund projects for consumers to make energy efficient improvements in their homes...
EIA Predicts Slow Sales Growth
Posted on Jun 20, 2016 in Energy Savings Programs, Financing, Innovation/Efficiency | Comments Off on EIA Predicts Slow Sales Growth
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) has forecasted slow electricity sales growth over the next 25 years in its latest Annual Energy Outlook. The EIA predicts that the electricity sales to commercial customers will increase at an average annual rate of 0.7 percent through 2040, while residential sales through 2040 will increase at a rate of only 0.3 percent, despite a projected...
Wolverine Announces Commission of Alpine Power Plant
Posted on Jun 17, 2016 in Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development | Comments Off on Wolverine Announces Commission of Alpine Power Plant
Wolverine Power Supply Cooperative, Inc. (Wolverine) announced that the new Alpine Power Plant, a natural gas-fired peaking plant located turbine in Elmira, Michigan, is now fully-powered. Once final commissioning is complete, the two generators, capable of producing a combined 410 MWs of electricity, will be handed off to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator for routine...
Texas Grid Operator Expects Major Increase in Solar Growth
Posted on Jun 14, 2016 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Texas Grid Operator Expects Major Increase in Solar Growth
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas expects solar to become the second or third largest source of electric generation in Texas by 2031.
NRECA Names Former U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson New CEO
Posted on Jun 14, 2016 in Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on NRECA Names Former U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson New CEO
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has announced that former U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson has been selected to serve as NRECA’s sixth chief executive officer. He will join the association and assume his duties as CEO in July.
S&P Issues Favorable Report on Coop Credit
Posted on Jun 13, 2016 in Environmental, Financing | Comments Off on S&P Issues Favorable Report on Coop Credit
On June 7 S&P Global Ratings (S&P) released a report on the electric cooperative sector. The report generally strikes a positive note, highlighting the “resilience” of electric cooperatives and concluding that even the implementation of the EPA’s Clean Power Plan will not pose an “imminent threat” to the credit quality of cooperatives.
Clean Power Plan to Rush Need for Infrastructure
Posted on Jun 10, 2016 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Clean Power Plan to Rush Need for Infrastructure
The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) has forecasted that by 2030 the Clean Power Plan will boost renewable resources 10-20 gigawatts and coal capacity will fall by as much as 27 gigawatts. This shift will accelerate the need for more transmission and pipeline infrastructure, with most new gas generation in the North and Southeast, and most wind power in the...
Dairyland Power Cooperative Announces Significant Wind Expansion
Posted on Jun 10, 2016 in Climate Change, Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on Dairyland Power Cooperative Announces Significant Wind Expansion
Dairyland Power Cooperative, located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, recently announced that it will begin purchasing energy from a 98 megawatt wind project located in southwestern Wisconsin. The project is owned by EDP Renewables North America. The project is currently working its way through the MISO generation interconnect process, and construction is set to begin in 2017.
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