Permitting Action Plan Fails to Address Electric Infrastructure Needs, NRCEA Says
Posted on May 13, 2022 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Permitting Action Plan Fails to Address Electric Infrastructure Needs, NRCEA Says
Electric cooperatives have historically encouraged policymakers to support solutions that modernize the National Environmental Policy Act and help to ameliorate the lack of federal coordination, inconsistent processes, and protracted litigation that threatens electric reliability. NRCEA believes President Biden’s “permitting action plan” fails to deliver the necessary reforms needed to...
NRECA Spotlights Legislative Goals as Electric Cooperative Leaders Head to Capitol
Posted on Apr 29, 2022 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on NRECA Spotlights Legislative Goals as Electric Cooperative Leaders Head to Capitol
Electric cooperative leaders are going to Washington to ask Congress for help in taking advantage of energy incentives, reducing their debt, and accessing billions of infrastructure dollars. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) has identified dozens of components of the bipartisan infrastructure bill that may be of interest to electric cooperatives, and they will...
NRECA CEO: Carbon-Free Electricity Generation by 2035 Is Overly Ambitious
Posted on Mar 25, 2022 in Environmental, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on NRECA CEO: Carbon-Free Electricity Generation by 2035 Is Overly Ambitious
After the Biden administration set the goal of achieving a 100% carbon-free electric sector by 2035, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) CEO, Jim Matheson, argued to Congress this overly ambitious goal could threaten grid reliability and requires technology that is not yet available. Matheson suggested Congress instead focus on a resilient and reliable electric...
Developers Appeal Federal Ruling Blocking Transmission Project Through Wildlife Refuge
Posted on Mar 25, 2022 in Legislative & Politics, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Developers Appeal Federal Ruling Blocking Transmission Project Through Wildlife Refuge
ITC Midwest, American Transmission and Dairyland Power Cooperative have appealed a federal ruling that blocks the construction of transmission lines through the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge. The lines are part of a $492 million project that would run more than 100 miles between Dane County, Wisconsin and Dubuque County Iowa.
NRECA Requests Postal Service Abandon Postage Rate Increases
Posted on Mar 21, 2022 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on NRECA Requests Postal Service Abandon Postage Rate Increases
The U.S. Postal Service is set to increase nonprofit marketing mail rates by an average of 7.8%. The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), along with other nonprofits, are asking the Postal Service to abandon the increases in light of the Postal Reform Act of 2022, which President Biden is expected to sign into law soon.
Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative Settles With Kentucky Utilities Over Right to Serve Ford Plant
Posted on Jan 12, 2022 in Economic Development, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative Settles With Kentucky Utilities Over Right to Serve Ford Plant
Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative (Nolan) settled its dispute with Kentucky Utilities over the right to serve a $5.8 billion plant owned by Ford Motor Company and SK Innovations. The plant represents the largest private investment into the state and could become one of Kentucky’s largest electric loads. The settlement permits Kentucky Utilities to serve the plant in exchange for Nolin’s...
NRECA Works to Achieve Legislative Gains for Cooperatives
Posted on Jan 11, 2022 in Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on NRECA Works to Achieve Legislative Gains for Cooperatives
Electric cooperatives throughout the nation are poised to reap the benefits in 2022 of legislation passed by Congress last year that includes coop priorities pushed by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) and its members. The biggest success was passage of the $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which will give a major boost to coops by...
House Reconciliation Bill Includes Provisions to Assist Coops in Energy Transition
Posted on Nov 24, 2021 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics, Uncategorized | Comments Off on House Reconciliation Bill Includes Provisions to Assist Coops in Energy Transition
The recently passed House budget reconciliation bill includes two provisions that will directly assist electric cooperatives, including Direct Pay Energy Innovation Tax Credits, which provides the equivalent of a federal tax incentive for renewable investments via direct payments, and the USDA Voluntary Energy Transition Program, which provides $10 billion to defray the cost of...
Electric Cooperatives Laud Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
Posted on Nov 8, 2021 in Grid & Infrastructure, Legislative & Politics | Comments Off on Electric Cooperatives Laud Passage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson praised Congress’ passage of a bipartisan infrastructure bill that will support clean energy technologies, broadband deployment, grid modernization and resiliency and electric vehicle charging infrastructure, all of which will assist in meeting the needs of communities served by electric cooperatives.
CEO of Minnkota Power Cooperative Urges Congress to Boost Carbon Capture Technologies
Posted on Jun 24, 2021 in Climate Change, Legislative & Politics, Renewable Energy, Technology | Comments Off on CEO of Minnkota Power Cooperative Urges Congress to Boost Carbon Capture Technologies
Mac McLennan, President and CEO of Minnkota Power Cooperative, recently urged members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy to prioritize reliability and resiliency in the wake of power stability issues across the country. Specifically, Mr. McLennan asked Congress to support carbon capture technologies through passage of the Carbon Capture Modernization Act....
