Oregon Coop Copes with Disasters; FEMA Helps
Posted on Apr 17, 2012 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Reliability | Comments Off on Oregon Coop Copes with Disasters; FEMA Helps
West Oregon Electric Cooperative, Inc., with help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has found a way to keep the lights on through storms. FEMA’s hazard mitigation funds have helped the coop repair storm-related transmission line damage and install new underground lines. As nonprofit agencies providing essential services, coops are eligible for federal disaster...
New Mexico Coop to Develop 1.5 MW Solar Field
Posted on Apr 17, 2012 in Climate Change, Energy Savings Programs, Environmental, Project Development | Comments Off on New Mexico Coop to Develop 1.5 MW Solar Field
Kit Carson Electric Cooperative recently broke ground on a project to build a 1.5-MW solar field, along with developer Standard Solar, in north-central New Mexico. The coop plans to buy solar output from the new facility under a 25-year agreement. When the solar field comes online, it is expected that every business and residence in that part of New Mexico will be entirely...
Settlement May Be Last Hurdle for Construction of Plant Washington
Posted on Apr 12, 2012 in Environmental, Permitting, Project Development | Comments Off on Settlement May Be Last Hurdle for Construction of Plant Washington
Power4Georgians, a consortium of four Georgia electric membership cooperatives, has reached settlement terms with environmental groups opposed to the development of one of its projects, Plant Washington (an 850-megawatt, coal-fired plant in Sandersville, Georgia). Once the opposition groups sign the settlement, Power4Georgians will have the final state permit for construction of Plant...
Western Coops Face Unpredictable Outages Due to Wild Weather
Posted on Apr 9, 2012 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Reliability | Comments Off on Western Coops Face Unpredictable Outages Due to Wild Weather
Several Western states have faced unpredictable weather this spring, which has caused ongoing challenges for electric coops attempting to keep power flowing to customers. In New Mexico, Springer Electric Cooperative, Inc., has been working to replace at least 150 poles and restore service to about one-third of the coop’s more than 3,000 consumer-members after snow and high winds...
Potential Risks in Solar Interconnection Changes
Posted on Apr 3, 2012 in Climate Change, Environmental, Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Regulation & Policy, Reliability, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Potential Risks in Solar Interconnection Changes
In a filing before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association recently identified significant reliability and safety risks that could be caused by the proposed revised procedures for interconnecting small solar generation with the grid. NRECA requested that FERC reject the Solar Energy Industries Association’s request for...
EPA Regulations Could Prevent the Use of Coal at New Plants
Posted on Apr 2, 2012 in Environmental, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on EPA Regulations Could Prevent the Use of Coal at New Plants
Under a new rule proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on March 27, carbon dioxide emissions from new fossil fuel plants would be required to be roughly equivalent to the emissions from new combined-cycle natural gas plants. Some industry members believe the rule could effectively prevent the use of coal to produce electric power at new plants. The proposed standard...
Impact of New GHG Rules on Planned Virginia Plant Uncertain
Posted on Mar 29, 2012 in Environmental, Project Development, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Impact of New GHG Rules on Planned Virginia Plant Uncertain
New rules proposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would limit greenhouse gas emissions for power plants that begin construction a year or more into the future. The effect of the new rules on Old Dominion Electric Cooperative’s plans for a new 1,500-MW, coal-fired power plant in Surry County, Virginia, remains uncertain. The Daily Press has the full story.
Coop Faces Questions about Savings Potential from Renewable Energy
Posted on Mar 12, 2012 in Environmental, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Coop Faces Questions about Savings Potential from Renewable Energy
The Massachusetts-based Cape and Vineyard Electric Cooperative, which is a regional agency created to pursue renewable energy projects for towns in the state, is facing questions about a recent initiative to pursue solar energy. Members of municipal energy committees in some towns have expressed doubt that they are getting the best possible deal from CVEC. The Cape Cod Times has more...
Old Dominion Coal-Fired Plant Obtains Initial Approval
Posted on Mar 6, 2012 in Environmental, Permitting, Project Development | Comments Off on Old Dominion Coal-Fired Plant Obtains Initial Approval
A $5 billion, 1,500-MW Old Dominion Electric Cooperative coal-fired plant has been granted a conditional use permit by the Dendron, Virginia, Town Council. The plant still needs to obtain environmental approvals. Read more here.
Potential Power Plant Sites Assessed in Nationwide Study
Posted on Mar 6, 2012 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Land Use, Permitting, Project Development | Comments Off on Potential Power Plant Sites Assessed in Nationwide Study
Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Electric Power Research Institute have issued a report assessing possible sites for future power generation in the U.S.. The researchers took into account factors such as siting constraints, terrain, access to water and proximity to large population centers. This type of detailed site analysis can support long-term strategic...
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