Minnesota Coop Benefits From Roll Back of Coal Restrictions
Posted on Apr 19, 2011 in Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Minnesota Coop Benefits From Roll Back of Coal Restrictions
Minnesota senators voted last Thursday to lift restrictions on carbon dioxide emissions from coal production. Supporters said the restrictions have amounted to a moratorium on both new coal plants in the state and the purchase of energy produced by new coal plants in neighboring states. Several Democrats joined the chamber’s Republicans in their unanimous support of rolling back the...
North Carolina Coops Make Progress Restoring Energy After Massive Storms
Posted on Apr 19, 2011 in Environmental | Comments Off on North Carolina Coops Make Progress Restoring Energy After Massive Storms
Following severe storms in North Carolina last weekend, coop crews in the area have worked diligently to restore power to customers. As of Sunday, approximately 32,000 outages remained across the cooperatives’ service areas, down from a peak of nearly 100,000 as the storms moved through the state. The storms, which moved through North Carolina last Saturday, made national news...
Proposed Plant Would Convert Methane to Electricity
Posted on Apr 19, 2011 in Environmental, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development | Comments Off on Proposed Plant Would Convert Methane to Electricity
Hoosier Energy, a coop in Indiana, plans to build a plant in the western region of the state that would turn methane extracted from the region’s coal bed into electricity. The project would generate 13 MW of power – enough to power roughly 7,000 homes. Hoosier spokesman Rick More said the plant’s cost is still being calculated. The plant is expected to go online in July 2012 and...
Executive of Kentucky Coop Warns of the Impacts that Proposed EPA Rules Will Have on Industrial Customers
Posted on Apr 8, 2011 in Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Rates, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on Executive of Kentucky Coop Warns of the Impacts that Proposed EPA Rules Will Have on Industrial Customers
Mark Bailey, CEO of Big Rivers Electric Corporation, spoke before a U.S. House subcommittee regarding the costs of the proposed regulations that the coop would be forced to pass along to its industrial base. A significant portion of the coop’s total power is used by energy intensive aluminum smelters that may be forced to relocate abroad in order to avoid higher electric rates. Roll...
Rule Requiring Installation of Pollution Controls on Back-up Generators Would Cost Iowa Cooperatives Big Money
Posted on Apr 4, 2011 in Environmental, Legislative & Politics, Rates | Comments Off on Rule Requiring Installation of Pollution Controls on Back-up Generators Would Cost Iowa Cooperatives Big Money
The CEO of North Iowa Municipal Electric Cooperative objected to the rule because coop’s members would have to pay more than $5 million to install catalyst technology on back-up units that run for a yearly average of 11 hours each. Based on cost-benefit concerns like these, Governor Branstad vetoed the state rule. Radio Iowa has the full story.
Maryland Governor’s Proposal to Subsidize Development of Wind Farms Hampered by Costs
Posted on Mar 18, 2011 in Environmental, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Maryland Governor’s Proposal to Subsidize Development of Wind Farms Hampered by Costs
The Maryland Public Service Commission told the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday that subsidizing a 500-watt wind farm would add between 92 cents to $3 per month to residential electric bills. The commission’s latest cost prediction was far lower than earlier this month, when the prediction was that household electric bills could increase as much as $8.70 per month. Members of both...
Black Hills Energy Proposes New $100 Million Gas-Fired Unit
Posted on Mar 17, 2011 in Environmental, Project Development | Comments Off on Black Hills Energy Proposes New $100 Million Gas-Fired Unit
Black Hills Energy has asked Colorado regulators for permission to build an 88 MW natural gas-fired unit to replace the power from a coal plant the company plans to retire. The new unit would reportedly cost over $100 million. Click here to read an explanation of all the implications of the proposed gas-fired unit.
East Kentucky Power Cooperative Searches for New Landfill
Posted on Mar 10, 2011 in Environmental | Comments Off on East Kentucky Power Cooperative Searches for New Landfill
East Kentucky Power Cooperative is searching for a permanent landfill for the disposal of the ash generated from four coal-fired generators, which can produce anywhere from 40,000 to 60,000 cubic yards of coal ash per year. The Winchester Sun has the rest of the story.
Governor’s Support of Vermont Electric Cooperative’s Wind Project Leads to Protests
Posted on Feb 25, 2011 in Environmental, Land Use, Project Development, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Governor’s Support of Vermont Electric Cooperative’s Wind Project Leads to Protests
Peter Shumlin, Vermont’s new governor, announced his support for the $150 million wind project several weeks ago, but opponents continue to argue that the project’s benefits do not outweigh its environmental costs. On the other hand, supporters argue that the project will provide tax relief and clean power for 20,000 homes. See Bloomberg for more on this story.
Documentary to Investigate Carroll Electric Cooperative Corporation’s Use of Herbicides Near Transmission Lines
Posted on Feb 15, 2011 in Corporate Governance, Environmental | Comments Off on Documentary to Investigate Carroll Electric Cooperative Corporation’s Use of Herbicides Near Transmission Lines
According to the Arkansas Times, local filmmakers are taking aim at Carroll Electric’s use of herbicides, which critics claim poses a threat to local crops and water supplies. The film also highlights the corporate governance issues involved in how the coop makes decisions about its herbicide use.
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