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Aid for Coops Included in Coronavirus Federal Relief Bill

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) urged Congress to include aid for electric cooperatives and their consumer-members as part of the federal relief efforts aimed at helping the struggling economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The $2 trillion federal coronavirus relief bill passed by Congress offers millions in aid to consumers struggling to pay their utility...

S&P Releases 2019 Outlook for Power Utilities and Electric Cooperatives

An S&P Global Ratings report forecasts that, despite significant technological, regulatory and economic uncertainties in 2019, power utilities and electric cooperatives are likely to maintain their financial strength, on the whole.

D.C. Circuit Hears Challenge to Clean Power Plan

Ten D.C. Circuit judges heard argument regarding the EPA’s authority to enact the Clean Power Plan and the rule’s constitutionality.  All active judges on the D.C. Circuit, with the exception of Merrick Garland, heard arguments from state government, power industry groups, the federal government and environmental groups.

Wabash Valley Power Association Purchases Participation Interest in Illinois Power Plant

Wabash Valley Power Association purchased a 5 percent participation interest in a 1,600-MW coal-powered electric plant in the Prairie State Energy Campus for $57 million.  The Campus, operational since 2012, is comprised of a power plant and an adjacent coal mine.  The deal was completed a day after Peabody Energy received final approval on a financing package that puts it on a path...

Coal Prices and Production Down in 2015

According to the Energy Information Administration, coal prices and production declined in 2015.  The agency attributed this decline to low natural gas prices, lower demand and more environmental regulations.

Fitch Ratings Study Finds that Cooperatives Must Adapt to Maintain Stable Credit Quality

A recent report by Fitch Ratings found that electrical cooperatives today face challenges created by changing technologies, slowing growth and changing consumer usage patterns.  These challenges will require that cooperatives find ways to adapt if they want to maintain strong credit quality in the A to AA range. For example, one adaptation made by many cooperatives has been to decouple...

Electric Coops See Rise in Sales and Customer Base

According to a recent report, electric coops led the electric utility industry in terms of sales and customer growth in 2013 with almost a 3.1 percent increase in retail sales and 1.2 percent increase in residential customers.  Weather and economic conditions were among the reasons for the jump. Click here for more information.

CFTC Issues No-Action Relief From De Minimis Threshold for Certain Swaps

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) issued temporary no-action relief from the $25 million special entity de minimis threshold used to determine “swap dealer” status under the CFTC’s swap regulatory regime.  The no-action relief applies only to certain swap transactions described in the no-action letter and remains in effect until the CFTC rules on a petition filed by...

USDA Announces Additional Rural Business and Economic Development Funding

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it is providing additional funding to rural communities through its Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program.  Funding has been allocated to a number of projects, including projects supported by cooperatives.  See the press release for more information.

Big Rivers Seeks PSC Approval for New Smelter Deal

Kentucky-based Big Rivers Electric Corporation (Big Rivers) is seeking approval from the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) of a deal that would allow a Big Rivers customer, Century Aluminum (Century), to purchase power for one of its Western Kentucky smelters on the wholesale market.  Century maintains that such an arrangement is necessary to keep the smelter open.  The PSC...

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