NRECA and EPA Spar over Review of Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
Posted on Jun 11, 2013 in Environmental, Litigation, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on NRECA and EPA Spar over Review of Cross-State Air Pollution Rule
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) plea for further review of the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which was thrown out by an appeals court. The rule’s purpose was to slash interstate emissions from power plants under federal “good neighbor” provisions that allow the EPA...
House Subcommittee Advances Coal Ash Bill
Posted on Jun 11, 2013 in Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on House Subcommittee Advances Coal Ash Bill
The House Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy voted June 6 to advance a new version of the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013, which sets up a state-run program to regulate coal ash, a common byproduct of coal-based power plants. The Act also prevents the Environmental Protection Agency from classifying coal ash as a hazardous waste and subjecting it for the first...
EPA Agrees to Reconsider Environmental Requirements for Apache Generating Station
Posted on Jun 11, 2013 in Environmental, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on EPA Agrees to Reconsider Environmental Requirements for Apache Generating Station
Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, the owner of the Apache Generating Station, recently received the good news that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is reconsidering requirements that would have resulted in costly upgrades. The coop had requested that the EPA consider the Apache Generating Station’s unique situation to ensure that the coop is able to provide affordable...
D.C. Circuit Court Lacks Jurisdiction to Hear Coop’s Appeal
Posted on May 29, 2013 in Environmental, Financing, Litigation | Comments Off on D.C. Circuit Court Lacks Jurisdiction to Hear Coop’s Appeal
The U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled earlier this week that it does not have jurisdiction to hear Sunflower Electric Power Corporation’s appeal of a district court ruling related to the failure of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to prepare an environmental impact statement in connection with Sunflower’s expansion of a coal-fired power plant...
Appeals Court Rejects Challenges to Georgia Nuclear Power Plant Expansion
Posted on May 29, 2013 in Environmental, Litigation, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Appeals Court Rejects Challenges to Georgia Nuclear Power Plant Expansion
On May 14, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit rejected the petition of several environmental groups to delay the permitting of two new units at the Alvin W. Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant in Georgia. The petitioners sought to delay the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s grant of combined construction and operating licenses to ensure that the units’ environmental...
Coops Concerned with EPA Proposal for Power Plants
Posted on May 20, 2013 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Permitting, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Coops Concerned with EPA Proposal for Power Plants
Electric coops are asking the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw its proposal which could greatly affect power plants under the Clean Air Act. The proposal, which would involve at least 36 states, would “fundamentally” change how power plants operate during startups, shutdowns and malfunctions. Electric Co-op Today has more details on the cooperatives’...
Coops Advocate Water Heater Rule Change
Posted on May 15, 2013 in Energy Savings Programs, Environmental, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on Coops Advocate Water Heater Rule Change
Electric cooperatives are advocating that the Department of Energy (DOE) make changes to a new rule that would phase out large-capacity electric storage water heaters from demand management programs. These water heaters save time and energy for cooperatives and provide significant reductions in wholesale power costs. Currently, the DOE has offered one-year waivers for the water...
Obama Administration Proposes New Restrictions on RUS Financing
Posted on May 14, 2013 in Climate Change, Environmental, Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Obama Administration Proposes New Restrictions on RUS Financing
The Department of Agriculture announced a fiscal 2014 budget of $4 billion for the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Electric Loan Program. Of that amount, $3 billion would be earmarked for renewable energy projects with the remaining $1 billion held for environmental upgrades. The proposed budget provides no money for other distribution or transmission projects, a void that lawmakers...
EIA Expects Near-Term Upswing in Coal Generation
Posted on May 9, 2013 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development | Comments Off on EIA Expects Near-Term Upswing in Coal Generation
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that the electric industry will see an increase in coal usage in 2013 and 2014 due to higher natural gas prices. While coal will rise to approximately 40 percent of the industry’s fuel sources, production levels are expected to decline, largely due to reduced exports. Click here for more information.
Texas Utilities May Buy Surplus Solar Energy from Customers
Posted on May 7, 2013 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Rates, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Texas Utilities May Buy Surplus Solar Energy from Customers
A bill passed in the Texas Senate proposes that utilities pay Texas customers that generate excess solar energy a fair market price for their contributions to the electrical grid. Under current law, if a utility does not voluntarily offer to buy excess solar energy, customers must negotiate directly with their providers to be compensated for the energy they add to the grid. Read more...
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