Coops Rise to Meet New Data Center Load Challenges
Posted on Apr 30, 2013 in Project Development, Technology | Comments Off on Coops Rise to Meet New Data Center Load Challenges
The deserts of the Pacific Northwest have become popular locations for data centers, and this trend is changing the way some electric coops do business. Companies including Google, Amazon, and Facebook have chosen locations in or around Oregon because of the state’s tax breaks, cheap abundant power, and cool, dry weather that can accommodate large-scale data centers. To maintain 24/7...
Georgia Coop Coal Plant Developers Change Plans
Posted on Apr 30, 2013 in Project Development | Comments Off on Georgia Coop Coal Plant Developers Change Plans
The Georgia electric membership coops that intended to develop a $2.1 billion, 850-MW, coal-fired power plant in Sandersville, Georgia, are foregoing ownership stakes in the project. This planned restructuring does not mean that the project will not be funded, however. The group, Power4Georgians, did not report a new source of financing but did state that its members all intend to...
USDA to Provide More Rural Electric Project Funding
Posted on Apr 30, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Technology | Comments Off on USDA to Provide More Rural Electric Project Funding
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing funding for four rural electric projects in eight states to enhance reliable, affordable electricity for rural residents. These projects, which will employ smart grid technology, are the latest in approximately 650 rural electric utility projects funded since 2009. Specifically the USDA is providing more than $126 million in...
Kansas Coop Votes on Whether to be Self-Regulated
Posted on Apr 29, 2013 in Corporate Governance, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Kansas Coop Votes on Whether to be Self-Regulated
Members of Midwest Energy, a gas and electric coop, are voting on whether they want the Kansas Corporation Commission to continue having regulatory authority over their coop. The coop expects to realize a number benefits if its members approve giving authority to a local board of directors and operating as a self-regulated entity. If approved, Midwest Energy would be the 27th out of...
Customer Satisfaction Index Finds High Levels of Satisfaction with Coops
Posted on Apr 29, 2013 in Rates, Reliability | Comments Off on Customer Satisfaction Index Finds High Levels of Satisfaction with Coops
For the second year in a row, electric cooperatives scored an average of 83 points out of 100 possible points for customer satisfaction as measured by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Coops maintained higher scores than energy utilities, which increased for the seventh straight year—to 77.4 out of 100 possible points. The ACSI found that increased energy efficiency...
Kentucky Coops Tentatively Agree to Power Provider Setup
Century Aluminum of Kentucky, Big Rivers Electric Corporation and Kenergy Corp. have agreed to a framework for providing market-priced power to the Hawesville smelter located in Hancock County, Kentucky. Under the agreement, which is subject to further negotiations and approval by various third parties, the coops would purchase power on the open market and pass it through to Century...Out With the Old, in With the New – CIP Version 5 on the Horizon
Posted on Apr 25, 2013 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Out With the Old, in With the New – CIP Version 5 on the Horizon
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has proposed a rule to approve the long-awaited Version 5 of the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Reliability Standards, which will overhaul the CIP regulatory framework and trigger new and revised compliance obligations for many users, owners and operators of the bulk electric...
Colorado Renewable Energy Bill Passes House Committee
Posted on Apr 25, 2013 in Legislative & Politics, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Colorado Renewable Energy Bill Passes House Committee
A Colorado bill that would significantly raise renewable energy requirements for Colorado coops was referred out of the state House Committee on Transportation & Energy for consideration by the entire House of Representatives. Senate Bill 13-252 was passed by the Colorado Senate in mid-April. Click here for the current status of the bill.
Two Electric Cooperatives Rank in Top 10 for Solar Generation Wattage Per Member
Posted on Apr 24, 2013 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Two Electric Cooperatives Rank in Top 10 for Solar Generation Wattage Per Member
The Solar Electric Power Association included two electric cooperatives in its list of top 10 utilities incorporating solar generation wattage per member. Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative, which had been ranked at twelfth place in 2011, moved to second place, adding 282 watts of solar electricity capacity per member last year. Chickasaw Electric Cooperative, ranked fifth on the...
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative to Build 1,000-MW Power Plant
Posted on Apr 24, 2013 in Project Development | Comments Off on Old Dominion Electric Cooperative to Build 1,000-MW Power Plant
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC) has announced plans to build a 1,000-MW, gas-fired generating plant in Maryland. This plant will be built on an existing site at an estimated cost of $675 million. ODEC will file an application with the Maryland Public Service Commission in May and plans to begin construction in late 2014. ODEC announced that the new plant, which will be...
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