Eversheds Sutherland Coop Law Blog
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Tennessee Provides Grant to Electric Coops for Rural Broadband Expansion

Tennessee has granted approximately $15 million in funds to telecom and electric cooperatives for an expansion of rural broadband projects in Tennessee under the Tennessee Broadband Accessibility Act. The grantees have committed to provide approximately $20 million in matching funds for a combined investment of approximately $35 million.

Cooperative Announces Solar Energy Facility in Wisconsin

Dairyland Power Cooperative has finalized a power purchase agreement with Ranger Power to purchase the entire output of the proposed 149 megawatt Badger State Solar Project which will be located in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. If approved, construction of Badger State Solar is anticipated to begin in 2020 with commercial operation commencing in 2022. “Dairyland is excited to...

Arkansas Coop Partners with Municipality to Install Solar Project and Utility-Scale Energy Storage

Ozarks Electric Cooperative and Today’s Power, Inc. are collaborating with the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas on the state’s largest solar power project to operate on municipal land and the only one in the state with onsite utility-scale energy storage.

Bipartisan Bill Could Boost Financing for Cooperatives

The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is working with a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress to pass legislation that would give electric cooperatives access to more money to modernize their plants and reduce costs for consumer-members. The proposed Improving Rural Access to Power Act would allow the Federal Home Loan Bank to voluntarily buy securities issued by a...

Report Shows Electric Cooperatives Fuel Economy

Electric cooperatives have a broad financial impact on the United States, directly or indirectly supporting nearly 612,000 jobs each year and contributing hundreds of billions of dollars to the economy over a five-year period, according to a new analysis. “This report quantifies what many rural American families and businesses know well—electric cooperatives are powerful engines of...

Indiana Cooperative Receiving $10.5 Million Loan

Southern Indiana Power is receiving a $10.5 million federal loan to build or improve 92 miles of line to enhance system operations for 600 rural consumers. The loan also includes funds for smart grid technologies.

Coop CEO Testifies in Support of Carbon Capture Technology Legislation

Basin Electric Power Cooperative CEO, Paul Sukut, told a Senate panel that he supports efforts to help electric cooperatives develop technology to capture carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fueled power plants and turn them into useful products.

USDA Banks New Investments in Infrastructure and Smart Grid Technology

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced investments in seven new projects in Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Oklahoma and South Dakota. The loans, totaling $122 million, will help build and improve electric lines and implement smart grid technologies.