Plans for North Dakota High-Voltage Line Move Forward
Posted on Sep 8, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Land Use, Permitting | Comments Off on Plans for North Dakota High-Voltage Line Move Forward
Minnkota Power Cooperative recently obtained approval from the Sheridan County Zoning Board for a planned 345-kV transmission line that will carry power over much of North Dakota. Zoning approval is still required from three other counties and one township. The North Dakota Public Service Commission also approved a certificate of corridor compatibility for the line, which is expected...
North Dakota Service Territory Divided
Posted on Sep 8, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Rates | Comments Off on North Dakota Service Territory Divided
The North Dakota Public Service Commission has approved an agreement between Montana-Dakota Utilities and Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative to divvy up the Williston customer service area. An influx of new customers, due to the region’s oil boom, prompted the division. Read more.
U.S. Forest Service and Coop Argue Over Responsibility for the Las Conchas Fire
Posted on Sep 2, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Land Use | Comments Off on U.S. Forest Service and Coop Argue Over Responsibility for the Las Conchas Fire
After determining that the Las Conchas fire in New Mexico was caused by a rotten tree falling onto power lines owned by Jemez Mountains Electric Cooperative, controversy has arisen over who should be held responsible. The coop has been maintaining its 20-foot easement along the path of the power line, but the tree in question fell from private property. The coop argues that it is...
Arizona Coop’s Irrigation Efficiency Study Ramping Up
Posted on Sep 1, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Project Development, Reliability | Comments Off on Arizona Coop’s Irrigation Efficiency Study Ramping Up
Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative (SSVEC) plans to send out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for a study aimed at improving the efficiency of the local irrigator industry. SSVEC will apply data collected to improve the distribution utility business and wants irrigators to give their input throughout the study process. Read more.
Vermont Smart Meters Help Weather Irene
Posted on Sep 1, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Technology | Comments Off on Vermont Smart Meters Help Weather Irene
Like many cooperatives along the eastern seaboard, the Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) dealt with major power outages in the wake of Hurricane Irene. Approximately 10,000 VEC members lost power. VEC’s smart meters played a pivotal role in the restoration efforts and allowed the VEC control center to communicate in real-time with members and support staff. Click here for the full...
Nevada Coop May Join California Power Grid
Posted on Aug 29, 2011 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Nevada Coop May Join California Power Grid
Nevada-based Valley Electric Association has received approval to join the California Independent System Operator Corporation, a nonprofit power-management corporation. Valley Electric has 23,000 members along the Nevada-California state line, and coop officials say linking Valley Electric’s 360 miles of existing transmission lines to California’s grid would let it ship renewable...
Coops Battle the Effect of Hurricane Irene
Posted on Aug 29, 2011 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure | Comments Off on Coops Battle the Effect of Hurricane Irene
Electric cooperatives across the Northeast are dealing with the power disruptions caused by Hurricane Irene’s destruction. According to Touchstone Energy Group, North Carolina-based coops have restored power to nearly 90,000 households, reducing the 152,000 outages reported on Saturday. In Vermont, utility workers continued working Monday morning to restore electricity to the 4,400...
Ravalli Electric Coop Opts for Fuses to Lower Fire Risk
Posted on Aug 22, 2011 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure | Comments Off on Ravalli Electric Coop Opts for Fuses to Lower Fire Risk
Montana-based Ravalli Electric Cooperative has announced that it will temporarily switch from breakers to fuses on its electrical system in fire-prone areas until later this fall when the high-risk part of the fire season has passed. The fuses eliminate the operation of re-energizing power lines, which can send a new surge of power through power lines near dry tree limbs and other...
Report Finds More Planning Needed to Deal with Weather-Related Outages
Posted on Aug 22, 2011 in Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure | Comments Off on Report Finds More Planning Needed to Deal with Weather-Related Outages
In a report released on August 16, 2011, staff members from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and North American Electric Reliability Corporation concluded that last February’s power outages in the Southwest may be related to a lack of preparation for bad weather. The power disruptions that occurred last February affected 4.4 million electricity consumers and 50,000 natural gas...
Nevada Coop Considers Plans to Export Green Power to California
Posted on Aug 19, 2011 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Nevada Coop Considers Plans to Export Green Power to California
Valley Electric Association, a coop based in Pahrump, Nevada, is developing plans to expand its transmission system to interconnect with the California Independent System Operator and to export renewable energy to California. The coop faces competition from Solar Express Transmission, and it is carefully considering the best way to move forward. The Las Vegas Review-Journal is...
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