Federal Grants to Boost Smart Grid Development
Posted on Oct 15, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Project Development, Technology | Comments Off on Federal Grants to Boost Smart Grid Development
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced $134 million in grant funding for rural electric coops and utilities to develop smart grid technologies. These funds will be added to the $250 million in financing announced by the USDA in August. (See previous Sutherland Coop team reports on this USDA grant funding from August 6, August 10, September 10, October 5...
USDA Announces Continued Funding and Support for Rural Electric Systems
Posted on Oct 5, 2012 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics, Project Development, Technology | Comments Off on USDA Announces Continued Funding and Support for Rural Electric Systems
In a speech before the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Under Secretary for Rural Development Dallas Tonsager announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will continue to make funding available for modernization and efficiency improvements, including smart grid technologies. This announcement follows USDA’s success in meeting its goal to finance $250...
California ISO Approves Participation by Nevada Coop
Posted on Oct 1, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Rates, Regulation & Policy, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on California ISO Approves Participation by Nevada Coop
The California Independent System Operator (California ISO) recently approved Nevada-based Valley Electric Association, Inc.’s (VEA) participation agreement to join the California ISO in January 2013. VEA is the first utility outside of California to join the regional market. The coop’s renewable generation portfolio will be used to satisfy California’s aggressive renewable energy...
Oklahoma Coops Race to Accommodate Increased Load Due to Oil and Gas Boom
Posted on Sep 25, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development | Comments Off on Oklahoma Coops Race to Accommodate Increased Load Due to Oil and Gas Boom
Oklahoma coops are seeing their loads double, and triple in some cases, due to the growing oil and gas industries. Kay Electric Cooperative, for example, currently serves 80 megawatts, which is about double the size of its load two years ago, and projects its possible growth to 400 megawatts over the next two years. Coops are also under pressure to add new infrastructure-like...
CFC Report Provides National Overview of Renewable Energy Projects
Posted on Sep 25, 2012 in Environmental, Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency | Comments Off on CFC Report Provides National Overview of Renewable Energy Projects
The National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corporation (CFC) provided a report on the progress of various renewable energy projects at the National Renewables Cooperative Organization’s (NRCO) September meeting. John List, the CFC senior vice president of Member Services, discussed the funding behind current and future renewable energy projects. Mr. List reported that since...
FERC Launches New Cybersecurity Office
Posted on Sep 21, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on FERC Launches New Cybersecurity Office
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is creating a new office to address cyber and physical security risks to FERC-jurisdictional facilities, such as electric generation and transmission facilities, oil and gas pipelines, and LNG terminals. The new Office of Energy Infrastructure Security (OEIS) will rely on FERC’s existing statutory authority in providing “leadership,...
Plan to Bury Transmission Lines Met With Opposition from Mid-Atlantic Coops
Posted on Sep 20, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Litigation, Project Development, Rates | Comments Off on Plan to Bury Transmission Lines Met With Opposition from Mid-Atlantic Coops
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative and North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation are among the wholesalers disputing whether they must help pay to bury three Virginia transmission lines as currently proposed by the Virginia Electric and Power Co. in transmission rate agreements with the wholesalers. The wholesalers argue that burying the lines is a purely local retail decision...
Utility Coop Reaches Critical Supply Agreement
Posted on Sep 19, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Rates | Comments Off on Utility Coop Reaches Critical Supply Agreement
Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) and BP Exploration have reached a natural gas supply contract, which will allow GVEA to purchase up to 23 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas per year. Since GVEA will likely not use more than 3.5 bcf of natural gas for local generation, the remaining gas will be available for other distribution purposes. The agreement represents an...
NRECA Recommends Approval of Revised “Bulk Electric System” Definition
Posted on Sep 13, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Regulation & Policy, Reliability | Comments Off on NRECA Recommends Approval of Revised “Bulk Electric System” Definition
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) recently submitted a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) (Docket Nos. RM12-6, RM12-7) supporting the revised definition of the term “Bulk Electric System” as approved by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) in January. The NRECA noted that the revised definition would better focus...
MPSC Orders Opt-Out Right for Smart Meters
Posted on Sep 13, 2012 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Regulation & Policy | Comments Off on MPSC Orders Opt-Out Right for Smart Meters
Due to cost concerns raised by customers, the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) has ordered certain investor-owned electric utilities to provide an opt-out option for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), based on cost-of-service principles, for their customers if the utility elects to implement AMI. The entire order, including the list of applicable electric utilities, can...
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