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Transmission Company GridLiance Adds Two New Board Members

GridLiance Holdco, LP (“GridLiance”), a transmission company that partners with cooperatives and municipal power providers to jointly plan, develop, own and operate transmission assets, has announced that it will appoint two utility industry veterans as new members of its board of directors.  Terry Boston and Michael G. Morris, two former utility executives, will join the board...

NRECA to Help Design Software to Cost-Effectively Improve Grid Resiliency

With a $1.8 million grant from the Department of Energy, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) will help develop software designed to identify the most cost-effective upgrades that utilities can make to improve grid resiliency in order to reduce economic losses caused by weather-related power outages.

An End to Geothermal Incentives in Illinois

Incentives for geothermal energy systems in Illinois have ended. Geothermal systems are more expensive than traditional fossil fuel based HVAC systems, but result in savings down the road. While in place, the incentives—in the form of grants—helped cooperative members install 51 geothermal projects resulting in an aggregate annual savings of $681,000. The last of the incentive grants...

Colorado Coop Begins Supplying Additional Solar Power

Poudre Valley Rural Electric Cooperative (Poudre) recently began supplying members with additional solar energy from two large solar plants. The plants, owned by Silicon Ranch Corporation, will supply power to Poudre’s members pursuant to an outputs contract. The two plants produce a combined 8 megawatts of power from 100,000 panels and will supply enough electricity to meet the needs...

Construction to Begin at Silicon Ranch Solar Energy Plant in Georgia

Construction on Silicon Ranch’s new 52 MWac solar energy plant is set to begin on February 1. Once completed, the plant will occupy approximately 450 acres, employ more than 200 workers and will harness enough solar energy to power the homes of approximately 8,500 of Green Power EMC’s members.

Coal Prices and Production Down in 2015

According to the Energy Information Administration, coal prices and production declined in 2015.  The agency attributed this decline to low natural gas prices, lower demand and more environmental regulations.

Coops Repairing After Severe Storms

After severe ice storms in parts of Texas and Oklahoma and major flooding from Illinois to Arkansas, electric coops are facing weeks of repairs. As repairs to any damaged systems move forward, coops are continuing to monitor any conditions that could cause scattered outages.

NRECA Suggests Changes to Clean Power Plan’s “Safety Valve”

The NRECA filed a petition on December 21 requesting that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) include a more robust “safety valve” in its Clean Power Plan to allow power providers relief from emissions standards in the event that those standards will have adverse effects on reliability.  The EPA’s plan does include a “safety valve,” but the current structure may be insufficient...

Pipeline Seeks Service Territory Exception in State-Assigned Cooperative Territory

Despite being in the service territory for Northern Electric, a member-owned cooperative, Dakota Access, an oil pipeline, is seeking a service territory exception from the state Public Utilities Commission so that NorthWestern Energy can supply the power instead.  The commission has already granted confidentiality to the proposed agreement between Dakota Access and NorthWestern...

Georgia EMC Adds Solar Power Facility

Green Power EMC of Georgia (Green Power) has entered into a 25-year power purchase contract with Silicon Ranch Corporation (Silicon Ranch).  Under the contract Green Power will purchase the full output of a Silicon Ranch solar project located in Jeff Davis County, Georgia.  The Solar Project, which occupies 135 acres of land, contains 187,000 solar panels and is expected to produce...

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