Kentucky Coop Seeks Proposals for Alternative Energy Sources
Posted on Jun 11, 2012 in Climate Change, Environmental, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Renewable Energy | Comments Off on Kentucky Coop Seeks Proposals for Alternative Energy Sources
East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) is seeking proposals for electric-generating resources to replace power plants that could be shut down when the federal Mercury and Air Toxics Standards take effect in 2015. As a result of the new regulations, EKPC is facing the possibility of replacing some large coal-fueled units. Proposals are due by Aug. 30, 2012, and EKPC expects agreements...
North Dakota Wind Farm Faces Unexpected Taxes
Posted on May 7, 2012 in Innovation/Efficiency, Tax, Technology | Comments Off on North Dakota Wind Farm Faces Unexpected Taxes
Basin Electric Power Cooperative, based in Bismarck, North Dakota, is paying nearly $800,000 in new tax revenue to school districts, counties and other governmental entities, which is about $300,000 more than projected by the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission two years ago. Taxes for the $363 million, 108-turbine wind project, located on 40,000 acres in three counties, are...
Rural Coops to Receive Millions in Loans to Improve Infrastructure and Install Smart Grid Technologies
Posted on May 7, 2012 in Financing, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency, Project Development | Comments Off on Rural Coops to Receive Millions in Loans to Improve Infrastructure and Install Smart Grid Technologies
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced that rural electric coops in 10 states will receive loans, worth $334 million total, to install smart grid technologies and make improvements to their facilities. The loans will be provided by the USDA Rural Development’s Rural Utilities Service. The new funding includes almost $20 million to install smart grid technologies. In...
Minnesota Coops to Test Smart-Grid Technology
Posted on May 3, 2012 in Energy Savings Programs, Grid & Infrastructure, Innovation/Efficiency | Comments Off on Minnesota Coops to Test Smart-Grid Technology
Three Minnesota cooperatives (Great River Energy, Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative and Lake Region Electric Cooperative) are participating in a $5 million demonstration project to pay for new smart-grid software in attempts to smooth (and track) their customers’ demand. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune has more on the story.
Coop Helps Jump Start Job Growth in South Carolina
Posted on Apr 10, 2012 in Economic Downturn, Innovation/Efficiency, Land Use | Comments Off on Coop Helps Jump Start Job Growth in South Carolina
South Carolina company Pee Dee Electricom, a subsidiary of Pee Dee Electric Cooperative, and Marion County have announced a partnership to build a 50,000-square-foot building in the Marion County Industrial Park. This building will be used to attract industry and jobs to Marion County. Construction is expected to be completed by September. Click here for more.
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...
Vermont Electric Coop to Kick Off Energy and Environmental Management Project
Posted on Mar 27, 2012 in Energy Savings Programs, Innovation/Efficiency, Technology | Comments Off on Vermont Electric Coop to Kick Off Energy and Environmental Management Project
Vermont Electric Cooperative is partnering with Kilawatt Technologies on an Energy and Environmental Management project. This project aims to reduce electric power waste in commercial buildings by tailoring supply closer to consumption. This effort will include collecting total energy consumption data across a building, determining the energy consumption patterns of that building,...
Coops Honored by J.D. Power
Posted on Mar 27, 2012 in Innovation/Efficiency, Rates, Reliability | Comments Off on Coops Honored by J.D. Power
Three of the 50 companies selected as J.D. Power 2012 Customer Service Champions are electric coops: Jackson EMC in Jefferson, Georgia; Sawnee EMC in Cumming, Georgia; and Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative in Hughesville, Maryland. The list was based on feedback from customers on what J.D. Power calls the “5 Ps” – people, presentation, price, process and product. Read more...
Coop Offers Members Right to Opt Out of Smart Meter Program
Posted on Mar 23, 2012 in Energy Savings Programs, Innovation/Efficiency, Technology | Comments Off on Coop Offers Members Right to Opt Out of Smart Meter Program
In response to some members’ concerns over privacy and security, Kaua’i Island Utility Cooperative in Hawaii announced that it will give its members the option of whether or not to participate in the coop’s smart meter program. The coop remains committed to its smart meter program, but opponents continue to seek a preliminary injunction in federal court. See Smartmeter.com for the...
Senate Bill Aims to Increase Energy Efficiency in Rural Areas
Posted on Mar 22, 2012 in Energy Savings Programs, Innovation/Efficiency, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Senate Bill Aims to Increase Energy Efficiency in Rural Areas
Sponsors of the Merkley-Lugar Rural Energy Savings Program Act (RESPA) hope the proposed bill will improve energy efficiency efforts in rural America. RESPA would authorize the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) to offer loans to rural electric coops, which, in turn, would use the added RUS funding to provide low-interest loans to customers for energy efficiency investments. You can read...
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